It is a fact that lots of companies and startups have been promising us flying cars for years and until now, we have not seen a single one of those vehicles fly the sky of any continent, but yes! There are lots of entrepreneurs with proposals up their sleeve and the new player to enter the field is Urban Aeronautics, who presents his CitiHawk eVTOL.
Yes, we already know what you are thinking: “Another flying car ?!” Yes, another one. But this copy keeps some differences about other models that we have seen previously.
The CityHawk eVTOL is a fully electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (VTOL), which is free of propellers and wings, giving it a very similar aesthetic to that of a car than that of an airplane. The real novelty of this vehicle is that it is powered by a High Power Hydrogen Battery (HTPEM).
Urban Aeronautics has been very confident in the design of this prototype, which uses a pair of oversized fans hidden within its structure to raise and lower and a smaller pair to propel itself forward or rear.
In addition to being more ergonomic, compact and safe than a winged vehicle (according to its creators, of course), the CityHawk eVTOL has a large cargo capacity and enough interior space for six passengers, making it a great option for be used as an air taxi service or even as an emergency services vehicle.
If you are asking about the benefits of its propulsion system, Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Urban Aeronautics, commented: “The hydrogen battery is a key piece for eVTOL vehicles in the future, because its high power and its quality of being 100 % respectful with the environment makes them the ideal option to drive these vehicles ”.
These statements are not exaggerated or far-fetched, because thanks to the HyPoint brand hydrogen battery design, Urban Aeronautics collaborator in this project, this vehicle can have from 5,000 to 20,000 hours of use, and its charging time has passed from hours to just minutes, making them highly efficient vehicles.
One more contender in this segment, which, at the rate, we are going, is very likely to take a few years to take off.
