This Futuristic Air Taxi Just Set A New Record For Longest eVTOL Flight – SlashGear

The marketplace for eVTOL aircraft is an exciting one. The concept of a “flying car” has remained in the public conscience for decades. The first flying car designs actually predated the Wright Brothers’ aircraft success. Then, in 1917, Glenn Curtiss built an aluminum vehicle he dubbed the “Autoplane,” which sported three wings measuring 40 feet across. The craft never achieved true flight, but it did make it off the ground.

Later, pioneering designs advanced into prototype and developmental stages in the 1940s and 1970s, but these flying automobiles never became a viable roadworthy option. However, with the new push to develop electric aircraft, consumers are once again looking to the skies for local traversal.

The battery capacity and effective flight range of an eVTOL will be the biggest selling point. Studies suggest that air taxis, light cargo operations, and air ambulance mobility will be the three biggest use cases for these vehicles when they become widespread. All three of these specialized users will require substantial range and the ability to leave the charging port behind at a moment’s notice. 

Emergency medical services, in particular, can’t wait for the aircraft to finish charging. Likewise, a taxi that’s been hired by a rider simply must complete its route from dispatch, to pickup, to drop off, and back again without failure. AutoFlight’s new range beating test flight expands the limits of what’s possible in this exciting and innovative technological realm.