One of the biggest helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in Europe, Germany’s ADAC Luftrettung, has reserved two VoloCity electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The order comes after a feasibility study about piloted multicopter use in rescue services.
“After the groundbreaking results of our feasibility study, we are expanding our technological lead with regards to integrating multicopters in rescue services,” said Frederic Bruder, managing director of the non-profit ADAC Luftrettung.
“Volocopter is the only eVTOL on the market that is advanced enough to reliably plan a test programme with for our purposes.”
By reserving two VoloCitys, made by Volocopter, ADAC Luftrettung will be the first to perform operational testing of eVTOLs as transport for emergency medical doctors.
ADAC Luftrettung and Volocopter’s partnership began in 2018 when they announced a joint case study launch to computer-simulate aeromedical missions in two regions in Germany.
The results clearly showed that air rescue with piloted multicopters is possible, makes sense, and improves emergency care. In the next two years, ADAC Luftrettung and Volocopter will conduct flight tests together on a special airfield to prepare for operational testing with the reserved VoloCity in 2023.
ADAC Luftrettung operates more than 50 rescue helicopters out of 37 bases making the charitable ADAC air rescue service one of the major HEMS organisations in Europe.
If need be, they are requested by a rescue coordination centre after a 112-emergency call and deployed to rescue injured or ill persons.
Volocopter is building a sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. With the VoloCity, the company is developing the first fully electric eVTOL aircraft to safely and quietly transport passengers within cities.
Volocopter is also launching air taxi services in Singapore after two years of close collaboration with the city.
The first route in the Lion City is expected to be a touristic route over the southern waters, offering breath-taking views of the Marina Bay skyline.
Leading up to the launch of commercial operations, Volocopter will build a team of 50 pilots, engineers, operation specialists, and business managers over the next three years. The company is expected to hire over 200 full-time employees in Singapore to manage a network of Singapore routes by 2026.