Zeva Zero

The Zeva Zero eVTOL has a unique flat design that aims to carry passengers completely door to door. Notably, the Zero's body itself is used as a lift surface to reduce drag in horizontal flight. Zeva also has a design for a 'SkyDock', which will allow the Zero to dock directly to buildings its passengers are traveling to, in order to eliminate the need for 'last mile' transportation. The Zeva Zero carries a single passenger, who tilts with the Zero as it rotates from vertical mode to horizontal flight mode. Zeva was founded in April 2018 and is led by Steve Tibbitts, Managing Director of Incubator FabLab Tacoma.

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: All-electric

Range: 50 miles

Top Speed: 160 mph

Propeller Configuration: Four sets of two fan-propellors, carbon fiber body used as a lift surface

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 1 pilot/passenger, 220 lbs

Autonomy Level: Semi-autonomous with eventual full-autonomy

Dimensions: Undisclosed

Other Information

Vertical take-off and landing: The Zero lifts into the air using 8 vertical rotors. Its coin-like structure allows for minimal drag during vertical mode take-off mode.

Fixed wing flight: From vertical take-off mode, the entirety of the Zero rotates into a horizontal postion so that its body may be used as a wing for fixed-wing flight.

Regulation: Although Zeva has not announced any work with regulators yet, it did build a prototype for the GoFly competition sponsored by Boeing in 2019.

Funding: Zeva is currently sponsored by the ANSYS Startup Program.

Although the Zeva Zero is currently still working on its full-scale prototype, its design highly differentiates it from most other eVTOLs on the market. The aircraft's body itself doubles as a lift surface, which reduces drag problems that other aircraft may have. Also unique is Zeva's SkyDock system, which eliminates the need for 'last mile' transportation; as well as the aircraft's small size; Zeva claims that two Zeros can fit in a traditional car garage. However, the uniqueness of the Zeva's design may also make airworthiness certification more of a challenge than for other eVTOLs that may be more similar to traditional helicopters or airplanes. Ultimately, Zeva has a very innovative design, but the integration of its technology may take some time.