European manufacturer Airbus has unveiled its electric car CityAirbus with vertical take-off and landing capabilities thanks to its 8 electric motors.
The Airbus flying car is electric, silent, and has space for 4 passengers
Electric aviation has become one of the technologies with the greatest potential for the coming years. The major aviation businesses are well aware of this, and they’re beginning to display prototypes for flying cars that will soon dominate city skies. The latest to do so has been Airbus, a European consortium in which some countries participate, with its CityAirbus NextGen aircraft.
This flying vehicle is fully electric and is equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail wing, and 8 engines that make it one of the most advanced propulsion systems of the moment. The inside is designed to carry up to four people in a zero-emission mobility concept with several prospects beyond personal transportation.
“We are on a quest to co-create a completely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into cities while addressing environmental and social concerns… Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management as they are about vehicle technology and business models.”
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters
Airbus may have to deal with strict noise regulations if it wants to make its CityAirbus a reality. According to the company itself, it manages to maintain 65 dB during cruise flight and 70 dB during landing maneuvers and is optimized for the efficiency of hovering as when a helicopter stands still in the air and cruising.
The CityAirbus is the culmination of years of study and innovation, as well as all the knowledge gained from its two electric vertical take-offs and landings (eVTOL) demonstrators. The Vahana and CityAirbus demonstrators have together performed 242 flight tests and flown around 1,000 km in total.
“We have learned a lot from the test campaigns with our two demonstrators, CityAirbus and Vahana,” Even commented. “The CityAirbus NextGen combines the best of both worlds with the new architecture striking the right balance between hovering and forward flight.”
The firm has yet to provide additional information about the four-seat airborne CityAirbus at this time. Except “the prototype is paving the way for certification planned for 2025”.
