Plenty of capital has been invested in efforts to build a so-called “flying taxi” for viable urban mobility services. A startup from Japan is aiming to make a personal electric vehicle-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) machine for solo flights.
The newest iteration of TeTra Aviation’s single-seater recently took a test flight at Byron Airport about 50 miles east of Sans Francisco, with the 32-rotor Mk-5 aircraft captured soaring through the skies in a video shared by the company.
Built for solo flights
The test flight was operated remotely and had no one on board, but the next flight will have a pilot. The aircraft can reach up speeds of up to 160 kph and has a range of 160 km. TeTra can carry a single person’s weight up to 113 kg. The startup says it has already taken orders for its aircraft, which it hopes to start selling toward the end of 2022.
However, the new aircraft isn’t for amateurs, as they’ll need a pilot’s license to fly it. Besides, it comes in a kit form, so buyers will have to put it together themselves and then have it inspected by an official from the Federal Aviation Administration to check whether it’s safe.
Several eVTOLs in the works
While TeTra aims its vehicle for personal use, several companies are working to make a similar eVTOL for city-based flying taxi services. Regulators will of course have the final word, but advances in the field are paving the way for safer and more efficient flights of such vehicles, and efforts are being made to produce a robust traffic control system service to handle the aircraft.
Recently, Airbus also joined the eVTOL wagon with the introduction of its electric aircraft. The potential flying taxi packs a sleek design and is named the CityAirbus NextGen. It features the best bits from previous designs that include the CityAirbus and Vahana demonstrators.
The aircraft is designed to function in urban areas. It features fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight electrically powered propellers. It can carry up to four passengers in a zero-emissions flight for around 80 kilometers at speeds of up to 120 kph.
