Electric Aircraft

The Future Flight Challenge has been created to develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles. Air-One is a world-first fully-operational hub for future electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft - such as cargo drones and air taxis - to be launched in Coventry later this year.

GKN Aerospace is to lead a trio of new programs to advance sustainable aviation technology. The UK-based group will be coordinating 15 other organizations in work backed by a £4.5 million investment from the government's Future Flight Challenge fund.

In 2017, after four years of setbacks and crashes, Alphabet shut its project flying solar-powered fixed-wing drones in the upper atmosphere to beam the internet to those cut-off. They have now ended their upper-atmosphere balloon version as well.

Archer is creating the world's first all-electric airline that moves people throughout the world's cities in a quick, safe, sustainable and cost-effective manner. The new partnership will help accelerate Archer's timeline.

EHang Holdings Limited announced the launch of its own autonomous urban air mobility services. The trial services include an aerial sightseeing program and aerial media shows, which will be rolled out in the partner's tourism real estate project.

It is unlike anything seen on today's runways: the "pod" configuration—one of several being conceptualised as part of ongoing R&D on the ZEROe concept aircraft—features a series of stand-alone propulsion systems based on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Today, Airbus is conducting studies to determine how scalable the "pod" configuration, among others, could be to large commercial aircraft.

India's first greenfield and largest shipbuilding yard, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, has selected Siemens Energy to provide advanced marine solutions for the country's first fleet of 23 boats to be equipped with electric propulsion drive trains with energy storage integration and vessel automation technologies.

British Airways has teamed up with ZeroAvia in a project to explore how hydrogen-powered aircraft can play a leading role in the future of sustainable flying.

The original invention of the electric motor by Faraday involved an axial flux permanent magnet motor, but ever since almost all permanent magnet traction motors have been radial flux. Now, the unique power & torque density advantages of axial flux, alongside more advanced manufacturing techniques, is leading them to make a comeback in certain electric vehicle markets.