The US Federal Aviation Administration has promulgated a final rule covering the operation of electric air taxis and how pilots will be trained to operate them. In a document entitled “Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations; Miscellaneous Amendments Related to Rotorcraft and Airplanes—Final Rule,” the agency recognized, as FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker noted, the… Read more »
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Wright Electric receives $3.34-million grant from FAA for ultra-lightweight aircraft batteries
Wright Electric, a US developer of ultra-lightweight motors, generators and batteries for the aerospace and military sectors, along with its partners, which include NASA, DOE and DOD, has been awarded a $3.34-million grant from the FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program. The funding will be used to develop a new class of batteries for… Read more »
Archer Aviation completes battery pack drop tests in preparation for FAA’s Type Certification Program
California-based eVTOL aircraft developer Archer Aviation recently performed successful battery pack drop tests at a National Institute for Aviation Research lab in advance of similar upcoming for-credit certification tests with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The tests were part of the development program for the electric propulsion system of Archer’s Midnight, a piloted, four-passenger aircraft… Read more »
New York City’s East 34th Street Heliport plugs into the future with Archer and Joby Aviation
New York City’s East 34th Street Heliport in midtown Manhattan is going electric. The news was revealed when the operator of the heliport, Atlantic Aviation, a fixed-base operator with over 100 locations, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced a renewal of the heliport’s five-year lease. The Big Apple will serve as a… Read more »
Volocopter’s electric air taxi takes test flight in Tampa
German firm Volocopter is developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which it envisions using as air taxis, making short- to medium-range flights. The company recently tested a prototype aircraft at Tampa International Airport, and media and local pols were on hand for the event. The flight test campaign, which used a crewed Volocopter… Read more »
IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit plus other incentives can make a commercial EV “nearly free”
The IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit offers a tax credit of up to $40,000 for US businesses and tax-exempt organizations that buy a qualified commercial clean vehicle (an EV, PHEV or fuel cell vehicle). The IRS’s list of eligible manufacturers includes some 60 vehicle brands. But wait, there’s more. As Lightning eMotors, whose medium-duty commercial… Read more »
Electric Power Systems to provide aviation battery system for Elfly’s electric seaplane demonstrator
The Norway-based Elfly Group is building an electric amphibious aircraft, inspired by the venerable de Havilland Twin Otter and Grumman’s Mallard. The Noemi seaplane is designed for 200-kilometer air journeys, and will be powered by two electric motors with up to 1 MW combined output. A prototype is expected to make its first flight in… Read more »
Toyota to supply EV powertrain and actuation components to Joby Aviation
Electric aircraft developer Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) has signed a long-term agreement with Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for the production of Joby’s aircraft. Toyota is Joby’s largest external shareholder, having invested around $400 million in the company, and the automaker has collaborated on a variety of projects to support the production… Read more »
Battery life exceeds expectations in Recurrent study of 15,000 EVs
Like everything else under the sun, lithium-ion batteries have finite lifespans, and modern EVs haven’t been around long enough for us to have comprehensive data regarding how long an average EV battery can be expected to remain fit for purpose. (And of course, the “Let’s stick with oil” crowd is happy to fill this knowledge… Read more »
Envirotech and Garsite to deliver electric aircraft refueler to Atlantic Aviation in Colorado
EV manufacturer Envirotech Vehicles (EVTV), working with aviation refueling equipment maker Garsite, will deliver an electric aircraft refueler to Atlantic Aviation in Colorado. Phillip Oldridge, CEO of EVTV, said: “We are proud to deliver the first all-electric aircraft refueler to Atlantic Aviation and further plan to continue fulfilling the aviation industry’s demand for more sustainable ground… Read more »