eVTOL Startup Air Shows Off Its Flying Car In A Minute Long Flight

Israeli eVTOL startup Air has revealed a minute-long video of its Air One flying car. The 1,100 kg eVTOL was loaded to full capacity and after it took off and then transitioned to nominal cruising speed. Air intends to complete FAA certification by logging thousand more flight hours. The testing period will also be used to maximise the range, speed and endurance of the vehicle. 

“It is thrilling to have reached this moment in our journey as we strive to build the foundation to make personal air mobility a reality. AIR is incredibly proud to play a role in the global AAM movement and we’re looking forward and upward to 2024 when adoption of privately-owned eVTOLs takes flight,” said Rani Platt, Air’s co-founder and CEO. 

Air plans to move the majority of its R&D to the US where it can collaborate with the FAA. The company has planned full-scale flights with human passengers in Q1 of 2023. It is hopeful of an official certification of its prototype of eVTOL by the third quarter of the year. 

Air revealed it has 260 pre-orders for the One which will start at a base price of $150,000. Air says that deliveries will happen in 2024 pending air certifications. Air was founded in 2017 and has been based in Tel Aviv. In Q2 of 2021, it demonstrated its first hover flight with the full-scale version of the One eVTOL. 

It has a maximum speed of 250 km/h and a cruise speed of 161 km/h with a range of 177 km and a maximum flight time of an hour. In terms of power, it has 771 bhp and can take in a maximum payload of 250kg. It has a maximum charging time of an hour and a 20-80 per cent charge of 30 minutes.