Honda's Flying Taxis
eVTOLs For City Commuting
Next G Urban Air Mobility
Honda is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) flying taxi to make "mobility in the sky more accessible to people." Just using electricity, it can travel 100 miles. When combined with a turbine engine, the hybrid electric eVTOL can travel 400 miles. Honda recently disclosed that it is going full throttle into the flying taxi business. Their eVTOL is specifically designed for intra-city and city to city travel, which Honda believes is about to grow significantly. In a presentation, Honda used the example of a businessperson on Cape Cod using the eVTOL to quickly and smoothly travel from the Cape to New York City and back within a day.
Tech Specs
The eVTOL uses 8, small propellers to get lift and then deploys 3 pusher props and its wings to fly forwards. The power to fly is generated by a hybrid electric system in which a turbine engine keeps the batteries charged. Passengers sit in a spacious pod beneath the propellers for their trip.
E-Mobility Ecosystem
Honda is developing an electric mobility ecosystem on the ground to support fleets of eVTOLs. The ground system includes autonomous transport pods on wheels to get passengers to the airport to catch their flight on the eVTOL.
Safety and Sound Considerations
Honda says that because of the relatively small size of the rotors, noise pollution from their eVTOL is not an issue. The flying taxi is quiet enough, Honda says, to operate in cities and not contribute to noise pollution. Honda adds that their flying taxi has built-in safety features that are equal to that of a commercial passenger jet.
Global Competition To Get There First
There is a global race among automotive and aviation companies to be the first to put eVTOL flying taxis into commercial operation. The urban air mobility marketplace is expected to explode with growing business opportunities. Honda is making it clear that it wants to be a big player in the flying taxi market. To take a look at more flying concepts, go to https://www.importantinnovations.com/2021/09/fords-2030-car-kid-inspired.html
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