Skip to main content

This 16-rotor Passenger Drone is the personal taxi service of your dreams

Passenger Drone First Manned Flight
A number of companies are building drones with the goal of transporting humans around, but the team behind a newcomer on the market — the simply named Passenger Drone — thinks it has what it takes to capture the number one spot.

“We have developed probably the most advanced passenger drone in the world as of today,” Peter Delco, a member of the Passenger Drone development team, told Digital Trends. “This sector is developing very fast. In the last two years while we were developing the drone there have been 2-3 similar projects launched. [However], based on size, safety, and performance we believe our drone outperforms others by far. We are the only company which has demonstrated manned flight so far — not just hovering, but actual flying.”

Recommended Videos

Passenger drone travel certainly promises a scintillating experience. The two-seater electric drone is propelled by 16 rotors, and produces no emissions. It is controlled by a touchscreen, and will take off with the press of just one button. Users can then draw their route on a map, and have the drone fly them there, using a range of smart autonomous technologies to do so without accidentally running into anything along the way.

Delco says that Passenger Drone will be perfect for private individuals who want to use it for either recreational purposes or personal travel, organizations that need to need to transport passengers quickly in congested areas, on-demand autonomous taxis, or automated cargo delivery of payloads up to 200 kilos.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The drone can reportedly travel for 30-35 minutes at speeds of 34-40 miles per hour — giving it a range of about 20 miles in total before recharging is required. “We have made 30 to 40 flights during the summer with different weights, and finally in early September we got the confidence to make the first manned flight, which lasted about 10 minutes,” Delco continued. “We probably traveled 2-3 miles without landing.”

There’s no word on exactly when this will be made available, or at what price point, although we expect Passenger Drone to have a presence at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. If we play our cards right, maybe we can get a test ride then? Heck, it might help us skip some of the queues!

Luke Dormehl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more