Electric 'flying taxi' prototype unveiled in Germany

A new “flying taxi” has been unveiled by German start-up Lilium, which claims the vertical take-off craft could be the basis for an on-demand air service within six years, The Guardian reports.

The electric jet-powered five-seater aircraft is designed to travel up to 300km, a journey that would take it an hour at top speed.

While a smaller version of its novel plane flew in 2017, Lilium said that the maiden flight of a full-scale prototype earlier this month – a brief, remote-controlled test hover in Munich – was a “huge step”.

The firm, which has attracted more than €100m (£87m) in investment since its founding in 2015, has set a target of offering Uber-style, app-based air taxis in multiple cities by 2025.

The latest iteration, with room for a pilot and four passengers, will be the template for Lilium’s mass production model. With sufficient economy of scale, Lilium believes fares would be around $70 (£55) per head for a cross-city hop from, for example, JFK airport to Manhattan.