DB Schenker and Volocopter present their cargo drone in Berlin

Innovative supply chain solution

The Volodrone has unlimited logistics applications and works autonomously and electrically, being able to transport up to 200 kg of cargo with a range of up to 40km.

The leading provider of supply chain management and logistics, DB Schenker, has joined the pioneering company in urban air mobility, Volocopter, in the development of solutions for the transport of urgent and emission-free goods. Last week, Volocopter's heavy-lift drone was presented at the National Aviation Conference at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, where numerous politicians and representatives of the aviation industry were able to view it. The aircraft operates autonomously and electrically and can transport up to 200 kilograms of cargo with a range of up to 40 kilometers.

Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, explained that, “our clients demand clean, fast and innovative solutions for their supply chains. When conventional transportation infrastructures are overloaded or non-existent, cargo drones offer the opportunity to rethink transportation routes. So, The possible logistics applications of Volodrone are unlimited”. Furthermore, the manager added that “thanks to our partnership with Volocopter, this vision is slowly becoming a reality and drone transportation is increasingly tangible. The National Aviation Conference in Berlin "This offers us a very good opportunity to give German politicians a vivid picture of all this."

For its part, Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, has stated that, “our VoloDrone will be used where conventional ground transportation encounters logistical, construction or agricultural limits. We have ten years of flight experience and an advanced track record in the certification process with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), This creates enormous synergies for all our aircraft. For us, DB Schenker is a leading logistics partner, with whom we are working to offer commercial use of the Volodrone in various logistics applications.”

The drone that has been exhibited at the National Aviation Conference is a Volocopter test aircraft with a DB Schenker sample transport container. In commercial operation, the Volodrone will be able to cover distances of up to 40 kilometers. Likewise, the drone has a diameter of 9,15 meters and a height of 2,15 meters and weighs 600 kilograms and has an additional payload of up to 200 kilograms. Operations will be all-electric with autonomous beyond line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities. Additionally, the aircraft can take off and land vertically. The first flight of the Volodrone took place in 2019 and since then, regular tests have been carried out at various airfields in the south of Germany, .

Future logistics applications for the heavy-lift drone include locations that are difficult or slower to access by other means, such as islands, land-to-ship deliveries, transportation to mountainous regions, or isolated highway locations that have suffered natural disasters. Additionally, deliveries within cities are also possible use cases for the drone.

DB Schenker has been an investor in Volocopter since 2020 y Jochen Thewes, CEO of the company, is part of its advisory board. The objective of this collaboration is to drive the development and market launch of the VoloDrone for the logistics industry. DB Schenker is testing various innovative technologies around the world to offer a more flexible and environmentally friendly service, as well as to further reduce noise and CO2 emissions to the planet.

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