Electric Aircraft

The global aviation sector, estimated to account for around 2 to 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is under increasing pressure to decarbonize, but faces significant financial headwinds in the immediate term from the devastation wrought by COVID-19.

Ten years ago, IDTechEx correctly predicted that fuel cell cars would be a failure. Fuel cells are more promising for aircraft compared to cars because aircraft, particularly eVTOL, have severe safety issues caused by cold, old or faulty batteries, the longer ranges being currently impossible.

It is large single aisle aircraft that guzzle the most fuel, creating the most pollution. They are therefore the big win for future electrification but to get there we have to do the much easier electrification of small aircraft to battery electric motive power and do what electrification we can, short of motive power, to the largest aircraft. We come at it from both ends. The gains will benefit flier health as well as reduce local pollution and global warming.

Drones could soon be adopted as essential tools for various agricultural tasks; however, with respect to their use in farm management, research is still lacking. To address this issue, researchers in Japan compared drones to well-established technologies for spraying pesticide over rice paddy fields. Using statistical data, the researchers explore both advantages and limitations of drones and whether they currently offer an edge regarding costs, capacity, and management efficiency.

Wisk, the Urban Air Mobility company behind the first all-electric, self-flying air taxi, is progressing with its Transport Trial, which will advance autonomous passenger transport under the New Zealand Government's broader Airspace Integration Trial Programme. Wisk is working towards rolling out the implementation phase later this year.

EHang Holdings Limited and Giancarlo Zema Design Group have designed and will build an eco-sustainable vertiport in Italy. The vertiport will use green design and construction materials, and can generate energy to recharge the EH216 passenger-grade AAVs. Vertiports will play a significant role in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and the new era of flight. When integrated into the existing transportation infrastructure, vertiports can serve as aerial hubs for tourists.

Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are joining forces with Widerøe - the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, ready for revenue service in 2026.

Across the country, Zipline is a mission-critical, reliable and resilient part of Ghana's medical supply.

The technology could boost aerial robots' repertoire, allowing them to operate in cramped spaces and withstand collisions.