Airbus has been working on its CityAirbus electrically-powered vertical take-off and landing air taxis since 2015. The latest model has just been unveiled, and it can carry up to four passengers with zero emissions and very low levels of noise.
Although it’s just a prototype, this new CityAirbus certainly looks to be a near-final design. Unveiled at the AirbusSummit, it uses a fixed wing design with a V-shaped tail and relies on eight electrically-powered propellers to provide zero emission transport around a city. And a city is certainly going to be the limit as it has a range of just 50 miles (80km) before a recharge is required.
Airbus sees the aircraft as eventually providing a new way to travel around cities away from the congestion of roads without producing emissions. It’s also very quiet, keeping sound levels below 65db(A) when in flight, and below 70db(A) during landing. Transitioning from hover to crusing is achieved without moving any surfaces or tilting parts, which cuts down on both design complexity and power requirements.
“We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into the cities while addressing environmental and social concerns,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO.
The first flight of the prototype is planned for 2023, but two electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) demonstrators have already completed 242 flights and 620 miles of flight time. Airbus hopes to achieve certification for the first commercial CityAirbus “around 2025.” In the meantime, the company is working to create the required ecosystem within cities to support these air taxis.