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Not just air taxis: eVTOL developers see growing potential in utility applications
Not just air taxis: eVTOL developers see growing potential in utility applications
Not just air taxis: eVTOL developers see growing potential in utility applications
GAME CHANGER | 29 MAY 2020
Photo credit: eVTOL.comThe COVID-19 crisis has underlined the potential for eVTOLs in the utility sector, with autonomous platforms capable of carrying cargo or performing other roles even during periods of “lockdown.” The area is a growing focus for companies in the domain, with some developing immediate plans and others looking to the future.
The utility market is a focus for Volocopter through its eVTOL VoloDrone. The platform, which performed its first demonstration flight in October, has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and can carry payloads of up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds). It is pitched at various roles, such as sowing seeds for the agriculture sector, delivering packages in the logistics business, carrying heavy loads in infrastructure, or supporting disaster relief or humanitarian aid in the public services domain.
Christophe Hommet, chief engineer of the VoloDrone, told eVTOL.com that the system has been designed to adapt to a wide variety of missions across these industries. The VoloDrone was developed after “many inquiries from different sectors to develop a utility drone that can lift heavy loads and is based on the technological platform of the Volocopter,” Hommet added.
