eVTOLs/Urban Mobility

FedEx says it will start testing an autonomous hybrid eVTOL that can carry up to 500 pounds as far as 300 miles. The company said the trials with the Elroy Chaparral will start in 2023 and begin the process of getting certification for pilotless delivery. “We look forward to continued testing and learning throughout our […]

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation designed to establish an interagency working group to promote advanced air mobility (AAM) in the United States. The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (S.516) calls for the Department of Transportation to create a group to “plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, […]

Joby Aviation says it’s taken a big step toward certification of its eVTOL aircraft with the first submission of its novel staged approach to the process. Rather than present the finished aircraft for certification, Joby is conducting the first ever “area-specific certification plan” for the tilt rotor design. The first plan covers cabin safety and […]

Embraer is approaching 2,000 pre-orders of its Eve eVTOL thanks to an order for up to 200 aircraft announced Wednesday. The order by Global Crossing Airlines brings Eve’s backlog to 1,785 aircraft. The order was revealed in a securities filing and the company said it will deliver the aircraft in 2026. The company has yet […]

Simulator technology and aviation training company CAE has partnered with Joby Aviation to develop and qualify flight simulation training devices for Joby’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to the companies, the project will leverage “core simulation technology Joby has been developing for the past five years.” Joby, which plans to both manufacture […]

NetJets said last week that it’s buying 150 Lilium eVTOLs and plans to operate them as Part 135 charter aircraft. According to TransportUp, the world’s largest fractional announced the deal in a statement to investors. The eVTOLs will apparently be based in Florida where Lilium intends to build an eVTOL network serving central and southern […]

Urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter announced on Friday that it has raised $170 million in the initial signing of its Series E funding round. According to the company, the round was led by South Korea-based investor WP Investment followed by Atlantia and Honeywell. Volocopter also signed a joint venture term sheet with WP Investment […]

China-based air taxi developer AutoFlight has completed the first proof-of-concept transition test flight for its Prosperity I electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design. During the flight, which took place at the company’s flight test area in China’s Jiangsu province, AutoFlight says the prototype was able to successfully move from vertical to horizontal flight and […]

One of air taxi developer Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype aircraft was involved in an accident during flight testing on Wednesday in Jolon, California. The aircraft, which is one of two Joby prototypes, was being piloted remotely and no one was injured in the accident. The extent of the damage to […]

Boeing has sunk another half-billion dollars into Wisk Aero, its partner in the urban mobility sector, to fund its flight test and certification program. Wisk is a collaboration of Boeing and Kitty Hawk, and the Cora electric aircraft is now in its sixth iteration and flying regularly. It has 12 wing-mounted horizontally oriented rotors to […]