On Friday, Volocopter’s heavy-lift drone was presented to politicians and industry representatives for the first time in Berlin.
The aircraft is autonomously and electrically operated and can transport up to 200 kilograms of cargo with a range of up to 40 kilometers.
Speaking at the event, Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, said that drone transport was becoming increasingly tangible:
“Our customers demand clean, fast and innovative solutions for their supply chains. When the infrastructure for conventional means of transport is overburdened or non-existent, cargo drones offer an opportunity to rethink logistics routes. The possible applications in logistics are limitless. Through our partnership with Volocopter, this vision is gradually becoming reality. Drone transport is becoming increasingly tangible. The National Aviation Conference in Berlin offers us a very good opportunity to give German politicians a live impression of this.”
Meanwhile, Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, says the dron will be used when “classical ground transportation meets its limits in logistics”:
“Our VoloDrone will be put to use, where classical ground transportation meets its limits in logistics, construction, or agriculture. We have ten years of flight experience and our advanced status in the certifications process with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) bears tremendous synergies for all our aircraft. DB Schenker is a leading logistics partner, with whom we are readying our VoloDrone specifically for the commercial use in different logistics applications.”
According to DB Schenker, the VoloDrone will be able to cover distances of up to 40 kilometres. The drone is 9.15 metres in diameter and 2.15 metres tall. It weighs 600kg with an additional payload of up to 200kg.
B Schenker says the drone can be utilised in places that are difficult or slower to reach by other means. This includes islands, land-to-ship deliveries, transport to mountainous regions, or places isolated from road networks following natural disasters. Intra-city deliveries are also plausible use cases.
Photo credit: DB Schenker / Volocopter