Electric aircraft startup Pyka has been awarded a $7-million California Competes Tax Credit from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)—an income tax credit for businesses that locate or grow in California.

Pyka’s technology includes autonomous flight control software, flight computers, high-energy-density batteries, advanced electric propulsion systems and carbon-composite airframes.

The company recently launched an autonomous cargo airplane (the Pelican Cargo), which features a range of up to 200 miles, a payload of up to 400 pounds in 66 cubic feet of cargo volume, and a nose-loading system with a sliding cargo tray. The Pelican Cargo is powered by four electric motors with a combined 100 kW of output, and a 50 kWh swappable Li-ion battery pack. The aircraft uses four fixed-pitch propellers, two in the front and two behind the wing.

Source: Green Car Congress