Blade Air Mobility and BETA Technologies announced Tuesday that they have successfully tested the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), or air taxi, in the New York metropolitan area.
Electric air taxi tested in the New York metropolitan area
If you’re driving through New York City, keep an eye out for electric flying air taxis, or eVTOLs, as the historic test flight took place at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York.
BETA Technologies, a Vermont-based electric aviation and aerospace manufacturer, has partnered with Blade Air Mobility, which provides cost-effective air transportation alternatives in some of the world’s most congested areas (US, EU, Canada, and India). to make it a reality.
beta Air Taxi, ALIA-250 EVA has been in the works for three years, influenced by the design of the arctic tern.
Since terns migrate farther than any other bird, visiting all corners of the earth, it inspired the company to devise the most efficient method of flight.
The ALIA-250 EVA has two versions, one optimized for passengers and the other for cargo. The eVTOL is powered by a direct-drive distributed electric propulsion with a range of 250 NM and a charge time of 50 minutes.
The cargo version features the same specs but replaces the passenger seat with 200 ft^3 cargo space.
Blade initially announced that it would purchase up to 20 of BETA’s first ALIA-250 passenger eVTOLs in April 2021 as part of its plan to deploy them on routes in the US. In addition, the company will install the necessary charging infrastructure to support the transition.
Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal explains the meaning behind the demo, saying:
This demonstration is a major milestone in our transition from helicopters to electric vertical aircraft, and we are pleased that our partners at BETA have designed the right aircraft with the necessary range, capacity and noise profile for use in our key markets, including our New York City base of operations.
The electric air taxi demonstration in New York is a huge milestone for partnership and sustainable air travel. BETA has already had US Army and Air Force test pilots fly the ALIA-250 in full pattern evaluations.
