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Airbus' Urban Air Mobility Roadmap leads to an electric future

By Mike Hanlon
June 21, 2017
Airbus' Urban Air Mobility Roadmap leads to an electric future
The electric attraction in Paris this year from Airbus was the Vahana, an electric VTOL single seater concept envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle
The electric attraction in Paris this year from Airbus was the Vahana, an electric VTOL single seater concept envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle
View 26 Images
Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.
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Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.
A slide from Paul Eremenko's presentation Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace. Three distinct air vehicles can be seen in the presentation slide, being the four-passenger CityAirbus (front left), Verhana ((middle right) and a last-mile delivery Octacopter from the Skyways Project (bottom right).
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A slide from Paul Eremenko's presentation Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace.  Three distinct air vehicles can be seen in the presentation slide, being the four-passenger CityAirbus (front left), Verhana ((middle right) and a last-mile delivery Octacopter from the Skyways Project (bottom right).
A slide from Paul Eeremenko's presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace. Eremenko is a distinct departure from previous CTOs in this tradition-steeped industry, as he hails from the disruptive technology end of town. Having just completed a two-year assignment as the inaugural CEO of the Airbus A3 Innovation Centre in San Jose, California, Eremenko previously worked at Google, Motorola and DARPA.
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A slide from Paul Eeremenko's presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace.  Eremenko is a distinct departure from previous CTOs in this tradition-steeped industry, as he hails from the disruptive technology end of town. Having just completed a two-year assignment as the inaugural CEO of the Airbus A3 Innovation Centre in San Jose, California, Eremenko previously worked at Google, Motorola and DARPA.
It is common knowledge that A3 has been working with Uber which is planning to add an airborne component to it's car-based ride-sharing program and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities. Similar in nature and convenience to car-based Uber, Voom's aim is to "render helicopters accessible to a discerning mass-market consumer base, grow demand for passenger helicopter transportation, and, in the long-run, grow the total market for helicopters."
4/26
It is common knowledge that A3 has been working with Uber which is planning to add an airborne component to it's car-based ride-sharing program and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities. Similar in nature and convenience to car-based Uber, Voom's aim is to "render helicopters accessible to a discerning mass-market consumer base, grow demand for passenger helicopter transportation, and, in the long-run, grow the total market for helicopters."
Established players like Airbus and Bell are taking a cautious approach to the eVTOL market
5/26
Established players like Airbus and Bell are taking a cautious approach to the eVTOL market
Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.
6/26
Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
7/26
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
8/26
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
9/26
The electric VTOL single seat Vahana was developed by Airbus A3 and is envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle.
CityAirbus is currently Airbus' miost likely short-term solution for urban air commuting and appeared at the Paris Air Show at the Paris Air Lab booth
10/26
CityAirbus is currently Airbus' miost likely short-term solution for urban air commuting and appeared at the Paris Air Show at the Paris Air Lab booth
Airbus' Skyways is an unmanned parcel delivery system project being created in Singapore with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. An initial trial phase is planned at the National University of Singapore in early 2018, but the prospects are excellent for the ongoing development of the service as Singapore Post has now joined the project. The pictured Octacopter is the principal drone to be used in the initial phase.
11/26
Airbus' Skyways is an unmanned parcel delivery system project being created in Singapore with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. An initial trial phase is planned at the National University of Singapore in early 2018, but the prospects are excellent for the ongoing development of the service as Singapore Post has now joined the project. The pictured Octacopter is the principal drone to be used in the initial phase.
An early concept sketch of the electric VTOL single seat Vahana
12/26
An early concept sketch of the electric VTOL single seat Vahana 
36-year-old Paul Eremenko's appointment to the CTO role for the entire Airbus Group speaks volumes for the future direction of the company and his presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace paints a picture of great change within Airbus in coming years.
13/26
36-year-old Paul Eremenko's appointment to the CTO role for the entire Airbus Group speaks volumes for the future direction of the company and his presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace paints a picture of great change within Airbus in coming years.
The Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap
14/26
The Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap
The single-seat Cri Cri was shown at the 2010 Green Air Show, based on the popular French ultralights of the 1970s. Built in composite materials the twin electric motor Cri Cri had a take-off weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg and could fly for 30 minutes at 60 knots.
15/26
The single-seat Cri Cri was shown at the 2010 Green Air Show, based on the popular French ultralights of the 1970s. Built in composite materials the twin electric motor Cri Cri had a take-off weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg and could fly for 30 minutes at 60 knots.
The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed aloft for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 kph), all on a single 56kWh battery pack.
16/26
The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed aloft for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 kph), all on a single 56kWh battery pack.
Developed by EADS in collaboration with Siemens and Diamond Aircraft, the DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft. It was based on the Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seat motor glider and was shown at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The DA-36 E-Star was powered by a 70 kW electric motor, with a small Wankel engine driving a generator as a range-extender.
17/26
Developed by EADS in collaboration with Siemens and Diamond Aircraft, the DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft. It was based on the Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seat motor glider and was shown at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The DA-36 E-Star was powered by a 70 kW electric motor, with a small Wankel engine driving a generator as a range-extender. 
Developed by Airbus Group (formerly EADS) with a consortium of European aerospace companies, the E-fan evolved from the Cri-Cri electric plane, which Airbus used as a test bed and flying laboratory for developing the battery and energy management technology used in the E-Fan.
18/26
Developed by Airbus Group (formerly EADS) with a consortium of European aerospace companies, the E-fan evolved from the Cri-Cri electric plane, which Airbus used as a test bed and flying laboratory for developing the battery and energy management technology used in the E-Fan.  
On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan took off from Lydd Airport in England and flew 46 miles (74 km) to Calais (France) in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 ft. The parallels with the infancy of powered flight were obvious, with the first flight across the English Channel achieved by Louis Blériot in his Blériot XI on July 25, 1909. The record was not without controversy however.
19/26
On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan took off from Lydd Airport in England and flew 46 miles (74 km) to Calais (France) in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 ft. The parallels with the infancy of powered flight were obvious, with the first flight across the English Channel achieved by Louis Blériot in his Blériot XI on July 25, 1909. The record was not without controversy however.
The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane made its first flight in July 2016 and although the Siemens motor tips the scales at just 50 kg (110 lb), it is capable of delivering a continuous 260 kW. On March 23, 2017, the Extra 330LE was timed at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kg.
20/26
The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane made its first flight in July 2016 and although the Siemens motor tips the scales at just 50 kg (110 lb), it is capable of delivering a continuous 260 kW. On March 23, 2017, the Extra 330LE was timed at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kg.
Airbus plans to begin working on an ambitious future demonstrator version of the E-Fan concept shortly. The E-Fan X will require 2 megawatts of power.
21/26
Airbus plans to begin working on an ambitious future demonstrator version of the E-Fan concept shortly. The E-Fan X will require 2 megawatts of power.
Airbus and Siemens set up a partnership in 2016 to research and develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems and a new facility to be known as the E-Aircraft Systems House in Ottobrunn was begun. A team comprising 200 staff drawn from both companies will work in this dedicated research lab for future electric and hybrid-electric technologies.
22/26
Airbus and Siemens set up a partnership in 2016 to research and develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems and a new facility to be known as the E-Aircraft Systems House in Ottobrunn was begun. A team comprising 200 staff drawn from both companies will work in this dedicated research lab for future electric and hybrid-electric technologies.
The "Holy Grail" for Airbus is the development of an electric single-aisle passenger aircraft and that's still some way off, as it is projected that 20 megawatts will be required from the engines.
23/26
The "Holy Grail" for Airbus is the development of an electric single-aisle passenger aircraft and that's still some way off, as it is projected that 20 megawatts will be required from the engines.
Billed as the "world's first series production electric plane", the E-Fan 2.0 was shown for the first time at the 51st Paris Air Show in 2015. Voltair, an Airbus subsidiary, is working with French manufacturer Daher-Socata on setting up a new production facility to produce the E-Fan 2.0, with deliveries expected next year (2018).
24/26
Billed as the "world's first series production electric plane", the E-Fan 2.0 was shown for the first time at the 51st Paris Air Show in 2015. Voltair, an Airbus subsidiary, is working with French manufacturer Daher-Socata on setting up a new production facility to produce the E-Fan 2.0, with deliveries expected next year (2018).
Airbus' Skyways is an unmanned parcel delivery system project being created in Singapore with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. An initial trial phase is planned at the National University of Singapore in early 2018, but the prospects are excellent for the ongoing development of the service as Singapore Post has now joined the project.
25/26
Airbus' Skyways is an unmanned parcel delivery system project being created in Singapore with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. An initial trial phase is planned at the National University of Singapore in early 2018, but the prospects are excellent for the ongoing development of the service as Singapore Post has now joined the project.
The electric attraction in Paris this year from Airbus was the Vahana, an electric VTOL single seater concept envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle
26/26
The electric attraction in Paris this year from Airbus was the Vahana, an electric VTOL single seater concept envisaged as an autonomous air taxi and cargo delivery vehicle
View gallery - 26 images

The rapid modernization of the aerospace industry became evident in Paris this week when Airbus Group's recently appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Paul Eremenko, rolled out the company's developing portfolio of urban air mobility solutions.

Eremenko is a distinct departure from previous CTOs in this tradition-steeped industry, as he hails from the disruptive technology end of town. Having just completed a two-year assignment as the inaugural CEO of the Airbus A3 Innovation Centre in San Jose, California, Eremenko previously worked on futuristic technologies at Google, Motorola and DARPA.

A slide from Paul Eeremenko's presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace. Eremenko is a distinct departure from previous CTOs in this tradition-steeped industry, as he hails from the disruptive technology end of town. Having just completed a two-year assignment as the inaugural CEO of the Airbus A3 Innovation Centre in San Jose, California, Eremenko previously worked at Google, Motorola and DARPA.
A slide from Paul Eeremenko's presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace.  Eremenko is a distinct departure from previous CTOs in this tradition-steeped industry, as he hails from the disruptive technology end of town. Having just completed a two-year assignment as the inaugural CEO of the Airbus A3 Innovation Centre in San Jose, California, Eremenko previously worked at Google, Motorola and DARPA.

Airbus A3's brief is to explore technologies that are potentially disruptive to the organization's core business and Eremenko was ideally qualified for the task, having previously worked as Director of Engineering for Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP), the tech behemoth's equivalent to Lockheed-Martin's skunkworks, where he headed Project Ara, the modular smartphone hardware ecosystem. Eremenko joined Google when it purchased Motorola, where he had conceived and headed the initial Project Ara.

36-year-old Paul Eremenko's appointment to the CTO role for the entire Airbus Group speaks volumes for the future direction of the company and his presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace paints a picture of great change within Airbus in coming years.
36-year-old Paul Eremenko's appointment to the CTO role for the entire Airbus Group speaks volumes for the future direction of the company and his presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace paints a picture of great change within Airbus in coming years.

Before that, Eremenko (inset above) ran the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal by the Office of the Secretary of Defence. The son of the Ukrainian-American mathematician Alexandre Eremenko (recipient of the prestigious Humboldt Prize in Mathematics), Paul has a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, a Master's degrees in Aeronautics from Caltech, and a law degree from Georgetown University.

That's an impressive resume considering Eremenko just turned 36 years of age, and his appointment to the CTO role and his presentation entitled Building the Third Golden Ageof Aerospace, foretells great change within Airbus. Airbus seems to be the first of the big aerospace institutions to have grasped that it doesn't just make airplanes, but is a mobility company.

A slide from Paul Eremenko's presentation Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace. Three distinct air vehicles can be seen in the presentation slide, being the four-passenger CityAirbus (front left), Verhana ((middle right) and a last-mile delivery Octacopter from the Skyways Project (bottom right).
A slide from Paul Eremenko's presentation Building the Third Golden Age of Aerospace.  Three distinct air vehicles can be seen in the presentation slide, being the four-passenger CityAirbus (front left), Verhana ((middle right) and a last-mile delivery Octacopter from the Skyways Project (bottom right).

The above illustration is a slide from Eremenko's Airbus Media Day presentation. Three distinct air vehicles can be seen in the presentation slide, being the four-passenger CityAirbus (front left), Vahana (middle right) and a last-mile delivery Octacopter from the Skyways Project (bottom right).

It is common knowledge that A3 has been working with Uber which is planning to add an airborne component to it's car-based ride-sharing program and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities. Similar in nature and convenience to car-based Uber, Voom's aim is to "render helicopters accessible to a discerning mass-market consumer base, grow demand for passenger helicopter transportation, and, in the long-run, grow the total market for helicopters."
It is common knowledge that A3 has been working with Uber which is planning to add an airborne component to it's car-based ride-sharing program and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities. Similar in nature and convenience to car-based Uber, Voom's aim is to "render helicopters accessible to a discerning mass-market consumer base, grow demand for passenger helicopter transportation, and, in the long-run, grow the total market for helicopters."

It is common knowledge that Airbus A3 has been working with Uber, which is planning to add an airborne component to its car-based ride-sharing program, and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities. Similar in nature and convenience to car-based Uber, Voom's aim is to "render helicopters accessible to a discerning mass-market consumer base, grow demand for passenger helicopter transportation, and, in the long-run, grow the total market for helicopters."

According to the 2016 Airbus Annual Report, "The development of electric and hybrid-propulsion aircraft is one of the company's key priorities for the future, and the CTO is leading this 'E-aircraft Roadmap' with the long-term goal of applying electric and hybrid-propulsion technologies to helicopters and regional airliners. Electric-powered thrust fans for aircraft will contribute to the aviation technology environmental targets of reductions of CO2 emissions by 75 percent, NOx emissions by 90 percent, and noise by 65 percent by 2050."

The Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap

The Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap
The Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap

Regular New Atlas readers will have seen most of the milestones outlined on the Airbus Urban Air Mobility Roadmap in great detail, so we've added a brief description of each vehicle and links to the original stories.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the perspective offered by lining them all up together is that the most recent prototypes, Vahana and CityAirbus, stand a far greater chance of taking aviation mainstream than anything that we have seen previously. The air taxi model currently being successfully trialed in Sao Paulo with Voom might rapidly progress the adoption of multicopter aviation.

2010 | Cri Cri

The single-seat Cri Cri was shown at the 2010 Green Air Show, based on the popular French ultralights of the 1970s. Built in composite materials the twin electric motor Cri Cri had a take-off weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg and could fly for 30 minutes at 60 knots.
The single-seat Cri Cri was shown at the 2010 Green Air Show, based on the popular French ultralights of the 1970s. Built in composite materials the twin electric motor Cri Cri had a take-off weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg and could fly for 30 minutes at 60 knots.

The single-seat Cri Cri was shown at the 2010 Paris Air Show. Based on the popular French ultralights of the 1970s and built using composite materials, the twin electric motor Cri Cri had a take-off weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg (386 lb) and could fly for 30 minutes at 60 knots (111 km/h, 69 mph).

2011 | e-Genius

The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed aloft for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 kph), all on a single 56kWh battery pack.
The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed aloft for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 kph), all on a single 56kWh battery pack.

The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed aloft for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), all on a single 56-kWh battery pack.

2011 | DA36 E-Star

Developed by EADS in collaboration with Siemens and Diamond Aircraft, the DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft. It was based on the Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seat motor glider and was shown at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The DA-36 E-Star was powered by a 70 kW electric motor, with a small Wankel engine driving a generator as a range-extender.
Developed by EADS in collaboration with Siemens and Diamond Aircraft, the DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft. It was based on the Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seat motor glider and was shown at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The DA-36 E-Star was powered by a 70 kW electric motor, with a small Wankel engine driving a generator as a range-extender. 

Developed by EADS in collaboration with Siemens and Diamond Aircraft, the DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft. It was based on the Diamond HK36 Super Dimona two-seat motor glider and was shown at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The DA-36 E-Star was powered by a 70-kW electric motor, with a small Wankel engine driving a generator as a range-extender.

2014 | E-Fan 1.0

Developed by Airbus Group (formerly EADS) with a consortium of European aerospace companies, the E-fan evolved from the Cri-Cri electric plane, which Airbus used as a test bed and flying laboratory for developing the battery and energy management technology used in the E-Fan.
Developed by Airbus Group (formerly EADS) with a consortium of European aerospace companies, the E-fan evolved from the Cri-Cri electric plane, which Airbus used as a test bed and flying laboratory for developing the battery and energy management technology used in the E-Fan.  

Developed by Airbus Group (formerly EADS) with a consortium of European aerospace companies, the E-fan evolved from the Cri-Cri electric plane, which Airbus used as a test bed and flying laboratory for developing the battery and energy management technology used in the E-Fan. The two-seater E-fan was built with an all-composite construction and powered by two ducted, variable-pitch, electric fans fed by a series of 250-V lithium-ion polymer batteries.

2015 | E-Fan 1.1

On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan took off from Lydd Airport in England and flew 46 miles (74 km) to Calais (France) in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 ft. The parallels with the infancy of powered flight were obvious, with the first flight across the English Channel achieved by Louis Blériot in his Blériot XI on July 25, 1909. The record was not without controversy however.
On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan took off from Lydd Airport in England and flew 46 miles (74 km) to Calais (France) in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 ft. The parallels with the infancy of powered flight were obvious, with the first flight across the English Channel achieved by Louis Blériot in his Blériot XI on July 25, 1909. The record was not without controversy however.

On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan took off from Lydd Airport in England and flew 46 miles (74 km) to Calais (France) in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 ft. The parallels with the infancy of powered flight were obvious, with the first flight across the English Channel achieved by Louis Blériot in his Blériot XI on July 25, 1909. The record was not without controversy however.

2016 | Extra 330 L

The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane made its first flight in July 2016 and although the Siemens motor tips the scales at just 50 kg (110 lb), it is capable of delivering a continuous 260 kW. On March 23, 2017, the Extra 330LE was timed at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kg.
The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane made its first flight in July 2016 and although the Siemens motor tips the scales at just 50 kg (110 lb), it is capable of delivering a continuous 260 kW. On March 23, 2017, the Extra 330LE was timed at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kg.

The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane made its first flight in July 2016 and although the Siemens motor tips the scales at just 50 kg (110 lb), it is capable of delivering a continuous 260 kW. On March 23, 2017, the Extra 330LE was clocked at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kg (2,205 lb).

2016 | E-Fan 2.0

Billed as the "world's first series production electric plane", the E-Fan 2.0 was shown for the first time at the 51st Paris Air Show in 2015. Voltair, an Airbus subsidiary, is working with French manufacturer Daher-Socata on setting up a new production facility to produce the E-Fan 2.0, with deliveries expected next year (2018).
Billed as the "world's first series production electric plane", the E-Fan 2.0 was shown for the first time at the 51st Paris Air Show in 2015. Voltair, an Airbus subsidiary, is working with French manufacturer Daher-Socata on setting up a new production facility to produce the E-Fan 2.0, with deliveries expected next year (2018).

Billed as the "world's first series production electric plane", the E-Fan 2.0 was shown for the first time at the 51st Paris Air Show in 2015. Voltair, an Airbus subsidiary, is working with French manufacturer Daher-Socata on setting up a new production facility to produce the E-Fan 2.0, with deliveries expected in 2018.

2017 | Vahana

Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.
Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.

Much conjecture in Paris had it that the autonomous electric VTOL single seat Vahana had been crafted specifically for the needs of the Uber urban air taxi service, which Airbus A3 is known to have been working with. It is also envisaged that Vahana will be used for cargo delivery.

2018 | E-Aircraft System House

Airbus and Siemens set up a partnership in 2016 to research and develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems and a new facility to be known as the E-Aircraft Systems House in Ottobrunn was begun. A team comprising 200 staff drawn from both companies will work in this dedicated research lab for future electric and hybrid-electric technologies.
Airbus and Siemens set up a partnership in 2016 to research and develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems and a new facility to be known as the E-Aircraft Systems House in Ottobrunn was begun. A team comprising 200 staff drawn from both companies will work in this dedicated research lab for future electric and hybrid-electric technologies.

Airbus and Siemens set up a partnership in 2016 to research and develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems and a new facility to be known as the E-Aircraft Systems House in Ottobrunn was begun. A team comprising 200 staff drawn from both companies will work in this dedicated research lab for future electric and hybrid-electric technologies.

2018 | CityAirbus

CityAirbus is currently Airbus' miost likely short-term solution for urban air commuting and appeared at the Paris Air Show at the Paris Air Lab booth
CityAirbus is currently Airbus' miost likely short-term solution for urban air commuting and appeared at the Paris Air Show at the Paris Air Lab booth

CityAirbus is currently Airbus' most likely short-term solution for urban air commuting and appeared at the Paris Air Show at the Paris Air Lab booth. The electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) CityAirbus will carry up to four passengers and the plans suggest it could quickly go into service as a piloted helicopter without regulatory changes. Those plans call for the CityAirbus to begin autonomous operations once regulations are in place.

2019 | E-Fan X

Airbus plans to begin working on an ambitious future demonstrator version of the E-Fan concept shortly. The E-Fan X will require 2 megawatts of power.
Airbus plans to begin working on an ambitious future demonstrator version of the E-Fan concept shortly. The E-Fan X will require 2 megawatts of power.

Airbus plans to begin working on an ambitious future demonstrator version of the E-Fan concept shortly. The E-Fan X will require 2 megawatts of power.

2020 | New Single-Aisle Electric Aircraft

The "Holy Grail" for Airbus is the development of an electric single-aisle passenger aircraft and that's still some way off, as it is projected that 20 megawatts will be required from the engines.
The "Holy Grail" for Airbus is the development of an electric single-aisle passenger aircraft and that's still some way off, as it is projected that 20 megawatts will be required from the engines.

The "Holy Grail" for Airbus is the development of an electric single-aisle passenger aircraft and that's still some way off, as it is projected that 20 megawatts will be required from the engines.

View gallery - 26 images

Tags

AircraftAirbusAviationQuadcopterVoomCityAirbusVahana
8 comments
Mike Hanlon
Mike Hanlon
As a photojournalist, Mike’s work has been published in a dozen languages across 20+ countries. He has edited or managed over 75 different print publications, each with a different target audience: sports, automotive, advertising, marketing, design, ad infinitum. Mike has been working in the internet for more than 25 years and was the veteran of five internet start-ups before founding New Atlas in 2002.

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8 comments
David F
Quieter designs with shrouded blades, like the CityAirbus, are more likely to be socially acceptable than the Vahana. Either way, though, to expedite the move towards cleaner aviation due to the current limitation of batteries, would these aircraft be more desirable if they had series-hybrid propulsion? That is, instead of relying solely on electric batteries, enhance the specification with the addition of a small ICE for the purpose of generating electricity.
Liviu Giurca
The requirements for an electric VTOL aircraft are: -small foot print at least in urban area, respectively small area to takeoff and landing and reduced parking space; -no unprotected external rotors which can produce injury to the people or can enter in contact with the environment , conducting to a catastrophic behavior; -very high redundancy which permits to the aircraft to operate even with a failure of one or two motors; -high efficiency in forward flight, eventually twice bigger than that of the helicopter; -high speed in forward flight. The Airbus solutions considered separately didn’t seem to meet completely these requirements.
over_there
i think to say this is all off in fantasy land but i guess the companies do it so they can pretend there doing something about there emissions. Do the maths there is 50 times the power per kg in jet fuel than batteries a 747 takes off with 10 000 kg of fuel.
jayedwin98020
All I want to say is: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, giddy-up!!!
swaan
@over_there
You are right about the power density problem but you forget that the cost per mile/minute scale goes just as heavily into the opposite direction. With the ongoing drastic reduction of battery cost, electric aircraft can bring aviation to the masses. Even todays electric aircraft with their short flight times are very suitable as trainers, glider towing, areal photography, urban logistics...
They will win significant market share just because of their modular plug-and-play nature that lends to cheap manufacturing, very limited maintenance, easy to achieve system redundancy. They will have more in common with todays drones and rc-craft where you can mix and match components than regular fuel burning aircraft.
JimFox
"50 times the power per kg in jet fuel than batteries a 747 takes off with 10 000 kg of fuel." And how much pollution?? You are 10 years behind the curve! NOBODY is suggesting an electric 747- or did you not notice?
Nostromo47
CityAirbus and Vahana are the next closest thing to the wildly anticipated "backyard helicopter," portrayed since the 1950s in the popular meida! Back in the day, noisy, polluting machines like the Hiller Hornet were promised to be just around the corner for use by Joe-commuter. I couldn't wait for the gleaming new choppers to appear in a showroom near you. But then the decades went by. The nifty little helis never materialized. What a let down! Eremenko's Airbus Media Day presentation art of the proposed flying contraptions landing and taking off from landing pads attached to skyscrapers, above, sure is reminiscent of the kind of graphics commonly seen back then heralding the coming of personal travel by air in the world of the day after tomorrow.
JBWilliams
News from Airbus. They will start use Vahana in the cities in 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahana_(aircraft_prototype)