German eVTOL Manufacturer Pauses Tests, Local Hiring Citing Lack of Local Interest

Volocopter's timeline for Singaporean flight testing has been paused until the firm can find enough local partners to sign on the dotted line...with no idea when tests will resume.

Like so many eVTOL manufacturers, Asia calls out for their initial public demonstrations, boasting a perfect combination of regulatory amicability, forward-thinking mass transit infrastructure, and overstuffed metropolitan zones. Singapore is no exception, but its nifty, futuristic stylings come at greater cost than somewhere a little more industrial. To defray their own costs, Volocopter had been planning on securing Singaporean partnerships in order to bankroll their infrastructure and routing in the region, even hiring of essential personnel - but a dearth of local moneybags with check in hand has led the German firm to put it all on hold until further notice.

The firm isn't quite high and dry by any means. This November alone they have been able to complete initial test flights in New York City and Tampa, Florida. The dense, small Singaporean metroplex may not be the juicy target it seems from population figures alone: Smaller than Rhode Island, with its own notoriously well-oiled mass transportation options, the juice may not be worth the squeeze without more investors to bear the infrastructural development burden.

FMI: www.volocopter.en