New Yorkers were offered a glimpse of the future on Sunday when two leading eVTOL (electric take-off and landing) companies conducted manned demonstration flights of their aircraft in the city.
In what is being billed as the world’s largest public event and the first to feature multiple eVTOL aircraft in a city environment, New York Mayor Eric Adams watched Joby Aviation and Volocopter fly their electric aircraft to and from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.
Adams announced that the city plans to electrify the heliport for cleaner, quieter flights that not only cover current tours and travel to and from nearby airports, but also freight deliveries.
“Today, we embrace sustainability in the skies and on the streets… as we electrify our heliport infrastructure,” said Mayor Adams said. “Our vision for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport will create the world’s first heliport with infrastructure for electric-powered aircraft and leverage this public asset for New Yorkers as a hub for sustainable transportation and local delivery.”
Adams added that the measure would address “the ongoing quality of life issues caused by helicopter noise, (and) also take trucks off the road and make our roads safer.”
It’s unclear when the facility will be operational as it needs to be built first for electric aircraft, and the Joby and Volocopter flying machines still have to overcome a number of regulatory hurdles.
California-based Joby has been working on its electric plane for more than a decade and has received support from companies such as Toyota, Intel and Delta Air Lines. The company shared images of its New York flight in a post on social media on Tuesday:
As well as being much more environmentally friendly, eVTOL aircraft also have a much lower acoustic footprint than today’s helicopters, making them more suitable for urban areas. The Joby vehicle seats five and can reach speeds of up to 320 mph, while the Volocopter can accommodate two passengers and has a top speed of 62 mph.
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