Did you knowSHIFT is taking the stage this fall?
EHang (China)
EHangshas been hard at work to create a commercially viable autonomous eVTOL.
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They have also participated inhigh-rise fire fighting drillsand completedpilot cargo flights in Estoniaearlier this month.
Theyve announced the launch of their first unstaffed tourist flights in Zhaoqing, China, for 2021.
EHang has also started production at a new facility in Yunfu city, China.
Time to market:Unknown, but I suspect well see something in the next three years.
Yep, you get to fly a car!
Its latest version includes over 300,000 hours of engineering.
AeroMobil achievedkey flight testing targetsin March this year for its two-seater 4.0 flying car.
It delivers a flying range of up to 740 km and a driving range of up to 1000 km.
However, the aircar is not exactly green.
Volocopter (Germany)
Volocopter is developing the fully electric eVTOL aircraft.
Called theVolocopter VoloCity, its designed for two seats and hand luggage.
It flies with nine rechargeable batteries powering 18 motors.
The company began in 2011 andpiloted their first 90-second eVOTL that year.
Since then, theyve completed over 1000 test flights.
Technicians can supply the aircraft with a newly maintained and charged battery shortly after landing.
Aircraft are ready for take-off again in a matter of minutes.
They can fly with range of 35km and at a speed of 35km/h.
The VoloDrone demonstrator performed its first flight in October 2019.
Additionally, Volocopter recently partnered withUrban Movement Labs(UML) to explore potential routes in Los Angel.
Time to market:2022-4
Funding:$369.2 million
Verdict:Volocopter is a true innovator.
After so many years in stealth mode, the company must have been fuming at EHangs 2016 CES announcement.
I think theyre wise to be focused on freight assuming they can scale their efforts.
The fast battery swapover is a strong selling point.
Lilium (Germany)
Lilium was founded in 2015.
Their creation is the eVOTL five-seater Lilium jet.
Among its competitive advantages is its design: two sets of wings translate into a higher efficiency than rotors.
The company is also creating a seven-seat version capable of faster, longer flights.
Kitty Hawk (USA)
Kitty Hawk is one of the strangest flying vehicles.
On a single day, we trained 50 new novice Flyer pilots without aviation licenses.
Overall, we conducted over 25,000 successful flights with our Flyer fleet.
And most importantly, those who flew Flyer thought the experience was magical.
The feeling of being inside a human drone is hard to describe.
For those of us who flew it, it has changed our perspective on the power of flying forever.
Heaviside uses less than half the energy per kilometer of travel than a Tesla Model S at faster speeds.
Further, it can take off and land in a 9-meter x 9-meter unpaved area.
In July, the company announcedairworthiness approval by the US Air Force.
This gives them a lot of infrastructure not available to its competitors.
If you cheer for the underdog, this is the company to watch.
Would I fly one?
Joby Aviation (USA)
Joby Aviationwas founded in 2009 and has largely operated in stealth.
According to Joby, it flies at up to 322km/h at a 240km range per battery charge.
This provides access to government testing facilities.
In the same year, they acquired Ubers Elevate division, giving them a huge rideshare advantage.
General Motors released a video of a single-passenger eVTOL drone at CES 2020 under the Cadillac brand.
Thats about all we know, though.
At best, well see skills and technical knowledge converge speed up innovation?
So whos winning the race?
Im placing my bets on Joby.
They have the most money (excluding recently SPACs by Lilium and Archer).
Also, Uber Elevate may prove to be hugely beneficial.
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Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
