A FLYING electric taxi that can move at impressively high speeds has completed its first test flight.
Bristol-based startup Vertical Aerospace ran the first VX4 prototype test run on Wednesday at Cotswold Airport in southwest England.
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The VX4 is Vertical Aerospace’s version of an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).
During the test run, it flew at about 40mph and managed to lift, hover, fly, and land successfully, per Vertical Aerospace.
“Our full-scale electric aircraft successfully flew at Cotswold Airport, reaching our target speed of 40kts (just over 40 mph or 70 kmh) in a series of rigorous, remotely-piloted ‘thrustborne’ test flights,” Vertical Aerospace said in a video of the event.
The VX4 electric taxi has a top speed of 200mph.
Vertical Aerospace claims that VX4 can travel from London’s Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf in 13 seconds.
It will be used to taxi people around when released.
The VX4 is powered by eight electric motors mounted on movable nacelle tanks.
Its 1MW powertrain is co-developed with Rolls-Royce.
The VX4 can carry up to five people in total, including the pilot.
Vertical Aerospace wants to start offering its VX4 to the public for rides by around 2026.
It is currently pending certification by the UK Aviation Authority to allow rides by then.
Vertical Aerospace has already received 1,400 pre-orders from airlines, operators, and rental companies for when the time comes.
This includes airline giants like American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air Asia, Japan Airlines, and Gol.
The electric-powered taxi will be groundbreaking when it comes to sustainable travel along with quick travel.
Taxis in populated areas currently are producing tons of exhaust that are bad for the environment.
There is also no type of travel that can get people across cities in seconds.
Vertical Aerospace is planning to do more test flights over the coming months, it said in a statement, per The Next Web.
Along with developing a second prototype aircraft with “even more advanced technology,” it added.
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