ADAC Luftrettung, a German emergency medical service provider, has reserved two VoloCity eVTOL aircraft from Volocopter, a German developer of UAM solutions. After publishing the results of the first feasibility study about piloted multicopter use in rescue services, ADAC has invested in a pair of VoloCitys to prepare for operational tests in 2023. After two years of close collaboration, this is the next step for performing operational tests on multicopter use for EMS.

“After the groundbreaking results of our study, we are expanding our technological lead with regards to integrating multicopters in rescue services. Volocopter is the only eVTOL on the market that is advanced enough to reliably plan a test programme with for our purposes,” notes Frédéric Bruder, MD of the non-profit ADAC Luftrettung. “We are excited to have secured our right to receive one of the first VoloCity multicopters upon reception of type certificate.”

By reserving these aircraft, ADAC positions itself to be the first to perform operational testing of eVTOLs as transport for emergency medical doctors worldwide. Volocopter is providing this form of transport for emergency medical professionals in addition to building its own UAM services for cities.

“Our partnership with ADAC Luftrettung, Europe's largest helicopter operator, clearly demonstrates the potential that our multicopter technology brings across all areas of mobility,” remarks Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. “In this case, as a new means to get medical help to more people, faster, ADAC Luftrettung is making a clear statement of confidence about our readiness to deliver this technology.”

The company’s partnership began in 2018 when they announced a joint case study launch sponsored by the ADAC Foundation with the Institut für Notfallmedizin und Medizinmanagement (Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medical Management) at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich to computer-simulate aeromedical missions in two regions in Germany. After simulating more than 26,000 emergency operations with multicopters for the Ansbach rescue service area with the air rescue bases in Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria and in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, the full study was published in October 2020.

The results demonstrate that air rescue with piloted multicopters is possible, makes sense and improves emergency care. In the next two years, ADAC Luftrettung and Volocopter will conduct flight tests together on a special airfield to prepare for operational testing with the reserved VoloCity in 2023.