Aerospace designer and manufacturer Airbus has unveiled the 'CityAirbus NextGen,' an all-electric, remotely-piloted helicopter designed for urban transportation. The company intends for the new vehicle to function as an "air taxi" capable of flying four passengers to destinations throughout a given city.
The 'CityAirbus NextGen' was announced during the first #AirbusSummit on “Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace,” which focused on the emerging 'Urban Air Mobility market. The compact vehicle comes equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, eight electrically powered propellers, and a one-of-a-kind distributed propulsion system.
Currently in its development stage, the 'CityAirbus NextGen' is being built to fly with an 80 km range, reaching cruise speeds of 120 km/h. “We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into the cities while addressing environmental and social concerns," said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO.
Image Credit: Airbus
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Urban Air Mobility
- The emergence of the Urban Air Mobility market is providing a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies manufacturing electric air taxis for urban transportation.
- Distributed Propulsion System
- The development of a one-of-a-kind distributed propulsion system is a significant disruptive innovation opportunity for companies designing and building all-electric aircraft.
- Remote Piloting
- The use of remote-piloting technology in all-electric, autonomous aircraft is a potentially disruptive innovation opportunity in the aviation industry.
Where This Applies
- Aerospace
- The aerospace industry can potentially disrupt traditional modes of urban transportation with the development of electric air taxis.
- Electric Vehicles
- The development of all-electric aircraft for urban transportation presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the electric vehicle industry.
- Autonomous Vehicles
- The use of remote-piloting technology in all-electric, autonomous aircraft is a potentially disruptive innovation opportunity for the autonomous vehicle industry.
