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DHL Express has placed an order for 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation, the Seattle-area based global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft. With this engagement DHL aims to set up an unparalleled electric Express network and make a pioneering step into a sustainable aviation future. Eviation’s Alice is a leading fully electric aircraft, which enables airlines – both cargo and passenger – to operate zero-emissions fleets. Eviation expects to deliver the Alice electric aircraft to DHL Express in 2024.

Mock-up of Eviation Alice’s DHL cargo version. The passenger version of the aircraft has already been prototyped at full scale and is undergoing testing.

 “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification of every transport mode plays a crucial role and will significantly contribute to our overall sustainability goal of zero emissions. Founded in 1969, DHL Express has been known as a pioneer in the aviation industry for decades. We have found the perfect partner with Eviation as they share our purpose, and together we will take off into a new era of sustainable aviation.”

Source: DHL Press Release

Related:

• Eviation Unveils Production Configuration for its Alice Electric Aircraft
• Eviation Recieves a MagniX Electric Propulsion Unit for its ‘Alice’ Aircraft
• UPS Places Order for BETA Technologies eVTOL, EIS in 2024

Additional airlines are following in the jetstream of United Airlines to purchase eVTOL aircraft to better develop their service offerings in a future mobility landscape, building upon the already sizeable list of smaller regional mobility companies that have already made commitments to electric fixed wing aircraft and eVTOL’s alike.

Virgin Atlantic shared earlier this year in June that it has options for up to 150 aircraft from Bristol, UK based Vertical Aerospace, and Brazilian carrier Azul also just recently announced intentions to purchase up to 220 eVTOL’s from German Lilium, in a stalwart deal that could top $1 billion.

Shown above is the Lilium Jet, the eVTOL that Azul would operate under its new purchase agreement with Lilium. Image // Lilium

The Virgin Atlantic-branded service would use fully-electric, zero emission VA-X4 aircraft, which can carry up to four passengers in addition to the pilot, and have a range of over 100 miles, and presumably Azul would use the Lilium Jet to move passengers from point to point.

United Airlines’ announcement and options to order up to 200 Archer Aviation eVTOL’s round out the growing list of main line carrier orders, but eVTOL’s making inroads to other portions of air travel don’t stop there – regional mobility carriers such as California based Surf Air have options for electric regional aircraft, which are a step closer toward aerial mobility, Vancouver-based Seaplane operator Harbor Air has already test flown an electric DHC-2 Beaver aircraft, and Blade Urban Aerial Mobility has announced multiple preferred options contracts with varying eVTOL partners allowing its operators to purchase the next generation of regional mobility technology and allow then customer to enjoy the benefits of more efficient, quiet, and automated transport.

Why it’s important: Airlines are investing in the progression and advancement of the eVTOL industry, even when most are cash-constrained and also prioritizing operations in the black following recovery from the pandemic. However, investment opportunities to get in on the ground floor early for aerial mobility are too lucrative for mainline carriers and smaller regional upstarts alike, which is why a growing list of air carriers are publicly declaring their interest (and some making commitments and investments) toward aerial mobility offerings in the future.

Source // Virgin Atlantic and Lilium Newsrooms

PteroDynamics is currently developing an eVTOL aircraft design based on a very unique concept. Called the Transwing eVTOL, PteroDynamics’ aircraft incorporates a patented folding wing design, where propellers on propulsion pods are distributed down a set of wings that can fold back on dihedral pivot points along the wing. The folding mechanism is controlled by control rods attached to actuators on the main body, and when the wings are completely folded, the props point upward, in a similar configuration to a basic multicopter design. Compared to a tilt-rotor design, where the cabin must “tilt” in order to travel horizontally, the Transwing design is described as “aerodynamically benign”, meaning that there is no loss of control at any stage of the wing’s transition from folded to extended. 

The 6 ft. wingspan prototype model of PteroDynamics’ aircraft. Photograph: PteroDynamics

This design potentially allows for both the compact size of a standard tilt-rotor eVTOL, but the efficiency and control from a fixed wing aircraft with a broad wingspan, meaning the Transwing could have all the advantages of most standard compact eVTOL designs as well as the larger, fixed-wing designs with few to none of the drawbacks from either. According to PteroDynamics, “Transwing aircraft have much greater range, endurance, and cargo carrying efficiency as compared to all other VTOL designs.” And “given any aircraft footprint size and payload requirements, Transwing aircraft will fly several times as far as any VTOL competitor.”

A depiction of how the aircraft transitions between folded and extended wings. Photograph: PteroDynamics

So far, PteroDynamics has developed and tested prototype Transwings with 4.2-ft, 6.6-ft and 12.3-ft (1.3, 2 and 3.5-m) wingspans. As the Transwing is still in development, it remains unclear as to how well the pivot points on the wings can be refined, which will be critical for the success of the aircraft. As for the company’s plans, so far PteroDynamics plans to offer licenses for its patented technology as well as manufacturing and flight services as well, where the Transwing would be used for small-scale cargo transportation, military applications, as well as passenger transportation. According to a statement to FutureFlight, PteroDynamics will soon be establishing a 9,200 sq. ft. engineering facility in Colorado for the purpose of furthering R&D operations, and could soon sign off on a deal that would have the Transwing paired with an experimental license within 12 months. 

Why it’s important: PteroDynamics’ Transwing is an ambitious design that seeks to take advantage of the efficiency and stability of a fixed-wing design while negating the disadvantages, mainly the overall size from the wingspan and maneuverability. Such a design will have its own drawbacks in both development and lifespan, where PteroDynamics ambitious goals will require a more complex design than many of their competitors, increasing the difficulty in both development and maintenance. However, a successful implementation could lead PteroDynamics to overtake their competitors as well as the industry as a whole.

Source // New Atlas

While many were attracted to Volocopter’s first public flight demonstration of its 2X prototype in the United States, on the same day, California-based Opener’s BlackFly completed a flight for the public as well.

The firm has been relatively quiet the past two years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A tweet from March 2020 stated, “We’ve been busy—improving manufacturing processes, enhancing efficiency for future demand, refining vehicle design to be robust, and making advancements to our motors/motor controller. Once we’re done, we’re hitting the road.”

It appears Opener has been busy indeed, as the company came out of stealth mode once again with a public demonstration of its BlackFly prototype.

That absence has been quite intentional, said Celia Oakley, director of information at Opener. “We’re well funded, and so we wanted to focus on the design, technology, and engineering without distraction,” she said. “We haven’t been promoting ourselves in the media because we have the luxury of being able to focus on the technology without needing to attract investors.”

Opener intends to certify BlackFly as a ultralight aircraft, not requiring an FAA pilot’s license to operate. In fact, many of the engineers at Opener have flown BlackFly, including Eleanor Li, who operated the prototype for the air show. BlackFly intends to maintain safety with triple redundant systems and a robust training program alongside its sales efforts.

Joby Aviation, an upcoming leader in the world of electric aerial mobility, has successfully completed a 150-mile continuous flight on a single charge.

The flight was completed at Joby’s Electric Flight Base in Big Sur, CA earlier this month as part of the company’s ongoing flight test campaign. The aircraft, piloted from the ground by Joby’s Chief Test Pilot, Justin Paines, took off vertically before transitioning to forward flight.

The 154-mile flight, which took place over 11 laps of a predefined circuit, took 1 hour and 17 minutes to complete, setting a record for the world’s longest eVTOL test flight. Even more notably, the flight was performed with the company’s full-sized prototype, meaning that the aircraft that completed this flight will eventually be the same aircraft utilized by fare-paying passengers.

Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt commented, “We’ve achieved something that many thought impossible with today’s battery technology. By doing so we’ve taken the first step towards making convenient, emissions-free air travel between places like San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, Houston and Austin, or Los Angeles and San Diego an everyday reality.”

Additionally, as Joby gears up its aircraft, it is also preparing for its full entry into commercial service as an official air transport provider. The company has recently begun the Part FAA Part 135 air carrier certification process, entering the first stage by submitting airline operating manuals. Once that documentation is approved, the FAA will visit Joby locations to observe training sessions and witness flight operations before issuing its final approval.

Achieving the Part 135 certification, which Joby expects to do by 2022, will legally allow Joby to operate its new aircraft as air taxi in communities and cities throughout the United States. Alongside a Type Certificate and Production Certificate, this is one of three regulatory approvals critical to the planned launch of Joby’s all-electric aerial ridesharing service in 2024.

Why it’s important: As 2021 progresses, top companies like Joby are taking greater and greater strides towards commercial certification and passenger operations launch. Many companies, including Joby, predict that their aircraft will enter commercial service by 2024, and, according to Joby, they are on track to meet that deadline. Other companies to watch for taking these steps include Vertical Aerospace, Beta Technologies, Wisk, Volocopter, Lilium, and EHang.

Source // Joby Aviation

Related:

• Joby’s New Board of Directors and SPAC Offering Details
• Joby Aviation Announces Infrastructure Partnership With Largest Mobility Hub Operator in North America
• Joby Aviation Acquires Uber Elevate, Receives Airworthiness Approval from U.S Military

Joby Aero announced on July 23rd the composition of its Board of Directors in anticipation of the company’s merger with Reinvent Technology Partners, a special purpose acquisition company that is reported to take a “venture capital at scale” approach to partnering with bold leaders and companies. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will trade as JOBY on the NYSE. In conjunction with the transaction, notable members were also named to the board, including Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-Founder and the Co-Lead Director of Reinvent Technology Partners (RTP). Hoffman currently sits on the boards of companies such as Microsoft and Aurora. 

Next, Halimah DeLaine Prado, General Counsel, Google. Halimah has spent 15 years at Google, working on some of the most complex and important legal issues of the digital age, including a variety of projects at Google X. Prior to her current position, Halimah was a Vice President of Legal, managing a global team providing counsel across Google’s products, including Ads, Search, Cloud, Hardware, Platforms & Ecosystems, and YouTube.

Finally, Laura Wright, former CFO, Southwest Airlines, is reported to be joining the board. Laura has significant experience managing airline finances and operations, having helped to establish Southwest as one of the top US airlines across a 25 year tenure at the company. Her experience of leading an airline through a period of high growth will be particularly relevant to Joby as it seeks to establish and rapidly grow an aerial ridesharing service beginning in 2024.

Commenting on the recent appointments, JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, said, “We are incredibly humbled to have been able to assemble such a remarkable and diverse group of world-class leaders to guide and support Joby as we plan to enter the public market.”

Earlier this week, RTP announced that an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders has been scheduled for August 5, 2021 to vote on the approval and adoption of RTP’s business combination with Joby.

Why it’s important: Joby Aviation is adding lauded members of a variety of companies to their Board of Directors, enabling the company to continue their growth and expansion plans to deploy on demand aerial mobility services by 2024 at scale.

Jetpack Aviation’s prototype model of the Speeder, a jet turbine powered flying motorcycle, has successfully completed its first flight test. The flight test consisted of a hover test over tarmac while attached to a tether. Following the success of this flight test, which confirmed the Speeder’s base capabilities, Jetpack Aviation expects to follow up with more intensive flight tests by the end of this summer. 

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A post shared by JETPACK AVIATION (@jetpackaviation)

The Speeder is a flying VTOL motorcycle that Jetpack Aviation eventually intends to be able to reach top speeds of over 300 mph (480 kph). Similar to a drone, the Speeder will be electronically self-stabilized, running on a new form of flight control software that has been developed in-house for the last 18 months. According to the California-based company, “the Speeder will be the smallest, fastest, optionally piloted VTOL in the world, enabling multiple applications across emergency, cargo, military, and civil sectors.” The piloting itself is intended to be as simple as possible. Fully stabilized, the Speeder uses a tilt-to-accelerate flight system with hand controls, a two-way radio, and 12-inch touchscreen for navigation. If a pilot plans to fly at the maximum altitude of 15,000 ft, they will need to provide their own supplemental oxygen source.

Jetpack Aviation’s concept rendition of the Speeder

While not officially decided yet, Jetpack Aviation expects to offer the speeder to commercial, private, and government sectors, and will look to incorporate various designs for each. The Speeder design for personal flight would most likely be an eight engine single-seater, while a military version could be autonomous with a buffed weight limit. In addition, the recreational version looks to have two types available for the consumer based on their personal needs; the Ultralight Version (UVS) and the Experimental Version (EVS). The differences between the two mainly lie in restrictions and requirements: The UVS will be limited to a 5 gallon fuel capacity and 60 mph max speed, but does not require a full pilot’s license like the EVS. Both versions will still require training to fly the motorcycle, and the EVS will also require the purchaser to be part of the manufacturing process in order to comply with FAA regulations on experimental aircraft production. Currently one unit is estimated to cost around $380,000, but is subject to change after the Speeder undergoes further testing and development. 

Why it’s important: The success of the Speeder’s first flight test is momentous for Jetpack Aviation. The hover test confirmed the fundamental modes of operation for the Speeder, meaning that the company can now proceed with refining and further developing the Speeder’s maximum capabilities. 

Source // New Atlas.

The X2, developed by a department of electric car company XPeng motors, has officially taken to the skies. The aircraft is designed for private ownership and personal use (similar to a traditional car) rather than only as a shared air taxi.

XPeng X2 on Display at Taobao Maker Festival 2021

XPeng motors has a vision of the future where auto manufacturers slowly transition from making internal combustion cars to electric cars and eventually all the way to electric flying cars. Notably, American companies like GM and Goodyear have taken a similar approach, designing concepts for both electric aircraft and their components.

Founded in 2014, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng went public on the New York Stock Exchange last summer, raising $1.5 billion. It’s P7 long range sedan and G3 electric SUV have proven its ability to create successful electric vehicles, and the company signaling an emphatic vision for the future by releasing the concept for the X2 so soon after its automobile offerings.

The X2 is an especially sleek looking aircraft, whose lines echo the appearance of Tesla’s Cybertruck or the DMC Delorean. This design gives more of a car feel than an aircraft aesthetic, making the vehicle more approachable and inviting to those who are new to the idea of personal flight. The interior is especially user experience oriented, showing off a control panel and dashboard that look very similar to many electric ground-based cars on the market today.

Passenger/Pilot experience of the XPeng X2

The X2 will be able to carry two passengers with semi-autonomous and fully autonomous capabilities, will have a range of about 50 miles per charge at speeds up to 80mph, and will even be able to fit inside a single traditional parking space. The aircraft follows the X1, a single-passenger prototype that has already taken over 10,000 test flights.

Watch an announcement video of the X2 posted by XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng:

Why it’s important: As the world of eVTOL aircraft grows, so do the different kinds of companies developing air vehicles, and the various market segments for electric aircraft become more clear. While companies like Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter are focusing more on shared air taxi approaches, companies like XPeng and India’s ePlane may focus on privately-owned, smaller capacity aircraft. Also important to note is that successful car companies (especially in EVs) like XPeng and GM are starting to develop aerial mobility departments, which may mean that an increasing number of car companies in the world will start using their long-time manufacturing and safety development expertise to make eVTOL aircraft.

Bye Aerospace announced that Rheinland Air Service GmbH (RAS), a European MRO outfit, has completed purchase deposit agreements for five all-electric eFlyer 800 aircraft. RAS will act as an MRO support to eFlyer800 aircraft in Central Europe with its service and support facilities in Germany. Furthermore, RAS will be a designated reseller of eFlyer800 aircraft in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

“We are proud to be investing in the future of sustainable aviation and to be supporting Bye Aerospace in the transformation of flying. The eFlyer800 with its remarkable economy and flight performance will support the European Market while balancing the amount of carbon emissions” said Johannes Schaesberg, CEO of RAS.

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said RAS is an important partner for many reasons, including its physical location in western Germany. “We have known Johannes and his company for 20 years, and recognize the significant role RAS has, supporting business aviation for this important part of Europe,” Bye said.

Bye Aerospace announced the eFlyer 800 program earlier this year in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility. The company is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses.

All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions are designed to specifically address compelling market needs.  Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

Why it’s important: Of late, the conversation within aerospace has shifted from that of triage toward orders and future growth – and the sphere of electric aviation is included in that transformation. In recent months, hundreds of orders for eVTOL aircraft have been announced, and on a higher level, the overall general aviation and light aircraft market is continuing to be burgeoned by the influx of demand for future propulsion technology that allows for reduced carbon emissions and more efficient operations.

Surf Air Mobility has ordered up to 150 Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprop aircraft from Textron Aviation, the manufacturer announced this week. The order represents an exclusive relationship for the two companies as Surf Air Mobility works to certify a hybrid electric aircraft based on the Grand Caravan EX.

Textron Aviation’s initial deliveries of the Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Surf Air Mobility are expected to begin in Q2 2022. Surf Air anticipates that its hybrid electric system for the Grand Caravan, upon certification, will power a 9-seat variant of the iconic single-engine turboprop.

“Hybrid electric propulsion technology, deployed at scale for environmental and commercial benefits, is an important part of the future of travel,” said Ron Draper, President & CEO, Textron Aviation. “This relationship with Surf Air Mobility leverages the unique performance capabilities of the Cessna Grand Caravan in both passenger and cargo operations and continues to demonstrate the aircraft’s adaptability for innovative missions and configurations.”

The hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft is anticipated to be utilized by Surf Air Mobility across its own network, connecting more airports with short-haul direct service across the U.S. on a path to creating a regional mass transport platform to sustainably connect communities.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the combined expertise and technologies of both Textron Aviation and Surf Air Mobility,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Textron eAviation. “The outstanding capabilities and versatility of the Grand Caravan make it an ideal aircraft to take advantage of this new technology.”

“The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is one of the most adaptable and prolific aircraft in flight today. Through this exclusive relationship with Textron Aviation, we’re able to make electrified aircraft broadly available to existing and new operators, and bring the benefits of lower cost, lower emission air travel to customers faster and at scale,” said Sudhin Shahani, Co-founder, CEO & Executive Chairman, Surf Air Mobility. “We believe electrifying the Cessna Grand Caravan is the most significant step that can be made toward reduced emission flying with the quickest path to market.”

The order is subject to Surf Air obtaining financing for the aircraft.

Why it matters: Cessna’s Grand Caravan EX is a long standing product offering from the OEM and has been delivered to thousands of customers across the globe and has proved itself as a reliable platform for a wide variety of mission requirements. With the addition of hybrid electric propulsion, Surf Air has an opportunity to operate the Caravan at a significant cost advantage.

A new startup in the aerial mobility space has come out of stealth mode and intends to address noise concerns generated by eVTOL activity as commercialization becomes a reality; Whisper Aero believes it has found a solution to the barrier.

Whisper Aero has 11 employees working on a novel propulsion configuration at its Crossville TN headquarters.

Founded last year by Mark More, former NASA engineer and executive within the early days of Uber Technologies, Moore has engineered a new propulsion configuration which will seamlessly blend into the background noise of city landscapes. Moore has a long career in NASA where he studied drones and electric aircraft and was one of the first to publish academic works on eVTOL technologies in 2010. In 2017, Moore joined Uber Elevate until its acquisition by Joby Aviation.

Mark Moore, Founder of Whisper Aero; former NASA engineer and Uber Elevate executive.

“Half the people think drones are cool, and half of them are so annoyed,” Moore says. “They’re annoyed because there is this really aggravating noise source that should not be there. It sounds like a flying Cuisinart and makes people really uncomfortable. If you want the public to buy into the idea of more and more of these things appearing, you can’t annoy them, and you can’t scare them.”

Moore is convinced that the noise produced by this first wave of eVTOL vehicles will limit their success. While they’re quieter than helicopters, the aircraft still produce that swarm of bee-like buzz. Part of the problem, as Moore sees it, is that companies declined to deal with the noise in their rush to get aircraft to market. “Everyone is taking the path of least resistance,” he says.

Whisper Aero is headquartered in Crossville, TN roughly halfway between Nashville and Knoxville. As their patents work their way through the approval process, the firm will begin to unveil their solution. They intend to start selling products to drone makers as early as 2023. From there, they will expand their product line to include eVTOL manufacturers. So far, the firm has 11 employees and has raised over $7.5M USD from investors, including Robert Downey Jr, Menlo Ventures, Lux Capital, and Kindred Ventures.

Why it matters: Most details about the technology are not yet public as Whisper Aero intends to protect its intellectual property, but Moore’s experience in the aerial mobility space offer a good chance they’ve found something noteworthy. Community noise will be a major public concern to the coming exponential increase in UAV/UAM activity. If Whisper Aero has found a robust solution, they stand to be a critical firm in the industry.

Intended for use as an in-city electric air taxi, ePlane’s ‘e200’ will have a 200km range with two passenger capacity. The aircraft is already being prototyped, and is expected to hit the skies by early 2023.

Rendering of the e200 in flight. The aircraft features four fans for vertical lift along the sides, and two at the back for forward thrust.

According to co-founder Pranjal Mehta, the design differs from many existing eVTOL concepts in that it prioritizes compact vehicle size as a key design cornerstone. The company intends for its the e200 to provide true door-to-door air taxi services without needing a vertiport or landing pad, and so is designed to land and in a space the size of two standard auto parking spaces.

Said Mehta, “We’re trying to build a compact taxi to enable door-to-door travel in cities. This is sort of a unique mission because most of the other companies – which are doing fantastic work – are building very large vehicles that will require a vertiport or helipad.”

ePlane expects to target markets similar to Volocopter and Ehang, but adds two fixed wings for increased range and a quicker path to certification. This is most similar to Wisk’s Cora aircraft, but ePlane considers its key advantage over Cora will be its compact size. Additionally, the e200 will initially target markets in India, in order to reduce congestion, rather than initialize markets in the U.S.

“We wanted to see how we can avoid tilting, given that tilting comes with a certification challenge, and yet build something that is not too big because in India, we have a large population density. Space is a huge constraint.” said Mehta.

ePlane was co-founded by Professor Satya Chakravarthy, and his student at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) in 2019. The University is working alongside the two partners to set up the company, which has recently tripled its workforce, and is currently working on building a 75 percent scale prototype which will start testing in the next few months. Satya in particular has over 24 years in aerospace expertise, having set up a $30 million combustion research center utilized by companies like GE, before moving on to focus on to electric aircraft.

“Even though we’re building out of India, we’re not creating something which is a copy of what other companies are doing in the western part of the world. People usually expect us to build a cheaper version, but what we’re actually doing is going further by innovating on the technology and building something that suits the market”, commented Mehta.

Why it’s important: As the concept of eVTOL aircraft is developing, companies the world over are deriving from each other’s ideas to develop aircraft that will fit their own markets. With the e200’s unique compact size and its specific geographic market in India, the company is well set up to find great success at launch. As the air taxi industry develops, expect to see companies like ePlane continue to emerge and succeed in commercial use during the early and mid 2020s.

Source // eVTOL Insights, ePlane