The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer has revealed details and
pictures of its new electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing concept.
The second annual Uber Elevate Summit—a two-day event hosted
by the ridesharing behemoth dedicated to exploring advances in urban flight
technology—kicked off today in Los Angeles, giving attendees the first look at
Embraer’s new electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft. Like the
rest of Uber’s partners—including big aviation names like Bell Helicopter and
Mooney—Embraer hopes its design will be adopted by Uber for its Elevate air
taxi ecosystem, which Uber anticipates will be operating in a limited number of
cities by 2020.
The futuristic aircraft (presented thus far only in
renderings) was designed by Embraer X, a skunk works–like arm of the Brazilian
air manufacturer dedicated to developing innovations in transportation. Created
following the last Uber Elevate Summit—during which Embraer announced a
partnership with Uber—Embraer X is based in Melbourne, Fla., but has outposts
in Boston and Silicon Valley as well.
The new eVOTL design will utilize eight electric rotors
divided between two struts mounted to either side of the aircraft. These
vertically oriented rotors will allow the craft to take off and land like a
helicopter, giving it the versatility it needs to be truly convenient for
customers. Once in the air, forward propulsion is taken over by a large
propeller engine mounted to the back of the aircraft (similar to the Kitty Hawk
Cora). Since all of the motors onboard are electric, the Embraer X model should
run quietly—an important requirement put forth by Uber to ensure that their air
taxis don’t disturb the community. From the renderings, it looks like the
current incarnation will seat four passengers and a pilot—though autonomous
flight is the inevitable goal.
It is also worth keeping in mind that this is just one of
the futuristic vehicles Embraer X is currently working on and may not be its
only eVOTL concept in development. Although Uber holds a less than stellar
reputation in many people’s eyes, the company is certainly putting its money
where its mouth is when it comes to building a viable air taxi ecosystem, and
it may just usher in a new age in commuting.
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