By Dominic Perry2021-05-26T11:00:00+01:00
Urban traffic congestion is already bad and will only get worse in future as cities swell: by 2050 around two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities, according to United Nations forecasts.
Aside from the time lost, fossil fuel-powered vehicles sat in a queue of traffic are an obvious source of emissions – both those experienced locally, such as particulate matter, and greenhouse gases.
Source: Wisk
Wisk is developing a ‘self-flying’ eVTOL aircraft
Read through the mission statements of several of the leading developers of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and there is a sense that they are working on a silver bullet for congestion.
Electric-powered air taxis could offer a solution to the problem of urban congestion - wisking passengers across gridlocked cities. However, fare caps could be needed to ensure they are not the preserve of only the wealthy.
Wisk Aero is developing the two-seat, all-electric Cora aircraft specifically for autonomous operations. (Photo: Wisk Aero)
Wisk Aero will supply and operate up to 30 of its eVTOLs for Blade Urban Air Mobility’s passenger transportation network, the companies announced today. According to Wisk, the aircraft will be what it called its sixth-generation design rather than the two-seat, all-electric Cora currently undergoing flight testing.
The agreement between the two companies is contingent on factors such as when Wisk gets approval for autonomous flight operations. It calls for Wisk to deploy its aircraft on short routes linking Blade’s network of private terminals in various U.S. cities. The aircraft will be owned, operated, and maintained by Wisk, which will be paid according to flight duration based on minimum flight-hour guarantees.