New generation of manned eVTOL announced from Airbus - CityAirbus

On Tuesday 21 September 2021, Airbus unveiled the CityAirbus, like an air taxi, the next generation of fixed-wing electric vehicles, with the theme of the program being "Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace".

The CityAirbus is an all-electric, zero-emission vehicle with fixed wings, a V-tail and eight electric propellers for vertical take-off and landing, and can carry up to four passengers on a single flight. The vehicle will have a range of 80 km and a cruising speed of 120 km/h, making it ideal for operation in major cities for a variety of tasks.

The eight pitch rotors are powered by eight specially designed Siemens SP200D direct drive 100 kW units, powered by four 140 kW batteries with a flight time of 15 minutes.

“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. Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle technology and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to society,” Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, has said.

Airbus says that the CityAirbus will be very quiet in flight and on landing, with continuous research and testing resulting in sound levels of less than 65 dB(A) during overflight and less than 70 dB(A) during landing, which is similar to a household hoover.

From Vahana to CityAirbus, Airbus has been researching and innovating for several years on these two electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstrators, which have taken 242 test flights over a total distance of around 1,000 km. The whole machine has been designed with simplicity in mind and will offer the most economical performance. It has been further optimized for hovering and cruising efficiency, with no need to move surfaces or tilt parts during transitions.

The product is currently in the design phase, with the prototype scheduled to make its first flight in 2023 and certification expected in 2025.

Grepow & Tattu specialises in UAV/VTOL batteries, please feel free to contact us at info@grepow.com for any questions or services related to UAV power.

Photos from Airbus