The Embraer fixed-wing, single-engine electric demonstrator aircraft might not look like your vision of our urban air mobility (UAM) future, but its electric conventional takeoff & landing (eCTOL) design makes it a perfect testbed. Let’s look at what Embraer is testing with the single-wing eCTOL.
I recently caught up with Eric Bartsch from VerdeGo Aero to talk about the differences between electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft and electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft. If you recall, we previously announced that VerdeGo stopped the development of its eVTOL aircraft to focus instead on designing powertrains for other eVTOL and eCTOL aircraft makers, a valuable way to enable more urban air mobility (UAM).
A flurry of aviation startups have challenged our current air mobility system and are introducing urban air mobility (UAM) to more people. Embraer, Bell, Brazil, & Uber Elevate are a few innovating in this fast-paced new industry.
One benefit of the new wave of electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) and electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) airplanes is the freedom the electric propulsion system gives designers. Airbus has a “Bird of Prey” concept that will please most Star Trek fans, and now a flying Manta Ray could grace our skies in a few years.
As cool as the Hoversurf Hoverbike is, the company is now working on another electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air vehicle, the Hoversurf Formula. There are bigger ambitions for the latter.
Bye Aerospace is an extremely busy electric aviation company developing the future of our urban air mobility (UAM) world. It has two electric airplanes (eCTOL) and is working on an electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) project with Uber Elevate. But that’s not all. It is also partnering with another two companies focusing on pre‐crash sensing technologies, parachute ballistic recovery systems, landing gear‐airframe crashworthy structural concepts, high-energy absorbing seats, and advanced restraints.
South African urban air mobility (UAM) startup Pegasus Universal Aerospace, founded in 2012, has an interesting electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can also operate as an electric conventional take-off & landing (eCTOL) airplane.
Can Uber Elevate meet its targets, such as $700/h eVTOL flight and cost parity with road transport?
I recently had an interesting exchange with Alex Murray, who rethought how to fold electric bicycles (e-bikes) and launched a very successful Kickstarter campaign. Alex explained why the thorny folding systems have pros and cons, and how ultimately none of them hit the spot very well.
China knows no speed limit when it comes to technological advance. Local e-mobility startup eHang is pushing boundaries in the electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft market and is now promising an air taxi service in Guangzhou, China. I look forward to testing that service on my next trip to Guangzhou.
