From Electric Cars To Electric Airplanes, The End Of A Decade
2019 is drawing to a close, so let’s take stock of a decade of green mobility progress that started with a handful of startups a decade ago.
2019 is drawing to a close, so let’s take stock of a decade of green mobility progress that started with a handful of startups a decade ago.
Predicting the future use of airspace — not knowing how it will be used, what types of aircraft will be made, and how to manage it safely — is hair raising to most. Major companies like Airbus and Dassault Systèmes, among others, are simulating our unknown electric air mobility future. But what does the future really hold?
eHang has come a long way (pun withheld) since we first covered the company, and it is showing prospective clients what an electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) autonomous aircraft looks like — the EHang 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV). eHang just showed off the eVTOL aircraft at the General Arena in Vienna as part of the 4GAMECHANGERS Festival.
The future of our urban air mobility means better management and coordination of air traffic. The Airbus Altiscope Blueprint takes a deep dive into how eVTOL aircraft, electric helicopters, electric airplanes, and new personal air mobility platforms will share our airspace.
I’m always surprised talking about electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft technology at a party. Most people think electric urban air mobility (eUAM) won’t happen for a decade. Apart from the sad fact I talk about such things at parties, their reaction is puzzling. While most people think eVTOL aircraft won’t happen for a long time, that is a serious underestimation. Many aviation heavy-hitters and startups are already testing them. Heck, you can even buy one now.