Avfoil’s Post

Chinese battery manufacturing giant #CATL has invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” into #Chinese electric flying taxi startup and #eVTOL pioneer Autoflight. Autoflight announced over the weekend that it had signed an exclusive strategic investment and cooperation agreement with CATL which would see CATL “invest hundreds of millions of dollars” and become a strategic investor. With its global headquarters in #Shanghai, manufacturing and production factories across #China, and a research and development facility in #Munich, #Germany, Autoflight has already made a name for itself with several noteworthy milestones. The company set a record in early 2023 for longest eVTOL flight on a single battery charge of 250.3km and has since carried out the formation flight of three autonomous eVTOL aircraft, completed the world’s first inter-city eVTOL air-taxi flight, and the first long-distance flight of a tonne-class eVTOL. Autoflight currently advertises five different aircraft on its website, including the sleek-looking Prosperity, which boasts a maximum range of 250km and a cruising speed of 200km/h. AutoFlight’s CarryAll cargo aircraft – which boasts similar figures as Prosperity, but swaps capacity for passengers with carrying capacity – obtained type certification (#TC) in March 2024 from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, while the TC process for Propsierty officially got underway in April 2024. The new strategic investment and cooperation agreement with CATL will see the two companies commit to joint research and development of eVTOL aviation batteries, with a focus on enhancing the energy density and performance of eVTOL batteries to support longer flight distances and higher load capacities, while also improving safety and stability. CATL’s investment is expected to be used to enhance the safety and reliability of air logistics while expediting the research and development and airworthiness certification of Prosperity. “Through this in-depth collaboration with CATL, AutoFlight will not only accelerate the development and application of eVTOL battery technology but also elevate the overall technical capabilities of eVTOL aircraft to new heights,” the companies said in a press statement.

Evtol was always more BS than facts, too many new OEM's +140 and no one could identify a real market some nuts claim 20,000+ or explain why VTOL (helicopters) have not worked in shuttle operations, or why a VTOL Bell 504 be reengined with an electri engine? and voila a major competitor without $1 billion investment. Textron, Airbus, Embraer were always going to be in the final 10! the rest in Chapter 7 bankruptcy ----------------------- Why is it proving so difficult to get finance for eVTOL companies? Sergio Cecutta, an analyst at SMG Consulting, says it's no coincidence, and there's a simple main answer: there's not enough money sloshing around Europe. "Raising capital in Europe, it's more difficult than raising capital in the US or China," he tells me. After all, American rivals Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation have no trouble raising funds — no wonder when both companies are soaring past test flight and certification milestones, appearing increasingly ready to launch commercial services imminently, though work remains. He points to Volocopter, which this summer failed to get necessary motors delivered to produce its aircraft and finish certification after Rolls-Royce pulled out of the market. That's just life in aerospace, Cecutta suggested, but it can be enough to derail a startup that doesn't have the deep pockets of more established companies. A mockup of the Lilium Jet, all electric vertical take off and landing aircraft was on display ... [+]Houston Chronicle via Getty Images And developing an eVTOL is an expensive prospect. Cecutta says it's likely $1.5bn to $2bn just to get fully certified, and there will be further costs to setting up an operational business. Regulators are often blamed for delays to future technologies, but Cecutta says that's not the case here. Instead, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has done well to get regulations in place ahead of the industry requiring them, says Cecutta. "Now, what happens when the regulations are in place?" he asks. "There's no airplanes to certify." He adds: "The regulator did a great job, but the companies didn't follow through with that." In the meantime, the US continues to lead the eVTOL market, Cecutta says, with leader Joby Aviation already filing for certification in the UK. Plus, he added, China is making "progress at a pace that is unheard of in the West." If the European eVTOL manufacturers do fail to deliver, that could leave Europe as a key battleground for products: the US will be dominated by local firms, says Cecutta, while the lower prices of Chinese models will offer inroads in key markets in Asia and the Middle East, he predicts, saying it's similar to the electric vehicle market. But without a homegrown hero, Europe could be where US and Chinese models truly compete for market share.

I have read many posts and opinion recently regarding the eVTOL/AAM market. Mostly expressing huge cynicism, with an almost, 'I told you it wouldn't work!' attitude towards the many start-ups, that are daring to forge a way towards a more sustainable future in aviation. There are many challenges to overcome, I acknowledge that, but I prefer to stay curious and ask questions, rather than to wait for businesses to fail and be written off as a gimmick. The recent clip of Volocopter flying high over the grounds of the palace of Versailles was an incredible moment and a real statement of intent. I'm excited to see them achieve their next major milestone. Volocopter and so many others embody the entrepreneurial spirt that has brought aviation so far, in a relatively short window of time. On a personal level, it is very cool to see two industries that I love, automotive and aviation, come together, to support future progress. I watch with interest, curiosity and I am proud to support the sector in it's journey in a small way, through Cirium data and analytics. #AAM #eVTOL #Archer #Stellantis #OEM #Aviation

The UK's EVTOL maker Vertical Aerospace is in urgent need of more money. Its share price has precipitously declined. Acrimony between the capital providers is spilling into public view. Elan Head from The Air Current, dug up the disclosures and broke the news on Saturday. There are many things to like about Vertical Aerospace, run by people with impeccable pedigrees in aviation and a sense of humility and purpose. They have built a fair amount of plane for the money they spent. The company is backed by Stephen Fitzpatrick, a successful entrepreneur. So what is the problem? I think it is the design. Most EVTOLs fall into three broad design categories: Simplicity. These planes have horizontal propellers in a fixed position to provide lift for take off and landing and a fixed vertical propeller to provide forward thrust. The horizontal propellers turn off in forward flight and are then dead weight and they also cause drag. But at least the design is simple. Performance. All the propellers tilt from a horizontal position for take off and landing into a vertical position for forward flight. This is generally considered to be more complex, but plausibly it delivers better performance. Hybrid. Some of the propellers are in a fixed horizontal position and are only used for lift. Others tilt for use both in lift and forward flight. In my view this design offers neither simplicity nor performance. Vertical Aerospace’s hybrid design may not be a winner. I took my first cue from an excellent analysis from Zhiheng Lou published in December 22 on YouTube (link in the comments below). Meanwhile more data points have emerged. BETA TECHNOLOGIES and AutoFlight (simplicity) and Joby Aviation (performance) are all demonstrating steady progress, routinely transitioning between vertical and horizontal flight and flying long range missions. BETA TECHNOLOGIES and Joby Aviation have started to fly piloted. On the hybrid side progress is slow. AEROFUGIA, a Chinese company, seems to edge forward. But Wisk still needs to complete its first full scale plane. Vertical Aerospace’s second plane has just come off the ground, the first plane unfortunately crashed. Archer’s ‘demonstrator’ plane called Maker never flew its design speed or range and its ‘transition’ was mired in controversy. Its successor plane Midnight is in test phase, but there is only limited evidence it is doing any better. Three years after Maker's first flight, Archer is still tinkering with the basic configuration. In addition, I haven’t seen anyone announcing these hybrid designs anymore in the last few years. Last but not least, Korea’s Supernal ditched the hybrid design in favour of or a performance design, quoting air flow stability issues. All in all, as an investor, I quite like the Vertical Aerospace team and their backer. But in my assessment, with the benefit of hindsight, they unfortunately picked the wrong design.

Storming, forming, norming... the #eVTOL segment is certainly moving through these natural cycles. Wishing the best of luck to all #competing companies navigating the challenges! There’s incredible talent and innovation driving this emerging space forward. 

The shakeout in the incipient EVTOL industry has begun with the demise of the German company Lilium. I wonder whether Wisk could be another shoe to drop soon. Wisk is a 100% owned subsidiary of troubled Boeing. It aims to launch an EVTOL for four passengers without a pilot, an ’autonomous’ plane. Wisk believes that autonomy is an essential ingredient to getting to mass adoption of EVTOLs. Wisk recognises that the path to certification is longer than for piloted planes. Having tested various prototypes, Wisk has now settled on a ‘generation 6’ design, which it aims to get certified and commercialised. The first such aircraft is being built, planned for completion later this year. Certification is multiple years out, I guess at the earliest in 2027. But let’s assume it gets certified, then I doubt it will be competitive relative to other more promising EVTOL concepts. The design combines forward tilt propellers that provide both lift and thrust with fixed aft propellers that only provide lift. Archer and Vertical Aerospace have a similar basic design. On December 17 2022 in a YouTube video Zhiheng Lou (John) eloquently articulated the case against this layout. Meanwhile, Korea’s Supernal dumped it in 2023. They found it had airflow control issues, went back to the drawing board and are now developing an ‘all tilt rotor design’ somewhat like Joby Aviation. Apart from that, Wisk's plane with 7000 Lbs Maximum Take Off Weight is heavy versus Joby’s S4 with 5300 Lbs and even Archer's Midnight with 6500 Lbs. Heavier is more expensive both to build and to operate. It is likely to be significantly louder compared than the 4 passenger Joby Aviation S4 aircraft. All in all, perhaps Wisk's generation 6 plane gets certified but it remains to be seen if it is commercially competitive. But the bigger issue is shareholder support. All hands are on deck at Boeing. On October 8 S&P put the company on credit watch for a potential downgrade to non investment grade. Nothing focuses the mind of a CFO more than the threat of your debt becoming junk bonds, I have been there. Wisk probably needs at least another billion just to get to certification and then even more investment to get to commercialisation. I am very hard pressed to believe that such a large amount of money for an uncertain return that can only come in a distant future is anywhere near the priority list of the Boeing CFO. Disclosure: As an investor I am excited about the long term potential of EVTOL as a new mode of transportation. But not all EVTOL companies are created equal. I have prudently sized investments in Joby Aviation and Sora Aviation. In my assessment we have entered healthy shake out territory.

☁️🚕 Can Toyota-backed Joby Aviation compete with German eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing) Volocopter and Lilium after $500M funding? This latest funding will support the California-based company in its race to bring eVTOL aircraft to market, with commercial flights slated to begin in 2025. 📈 While OpenAI is dominating the race of world’s most valuable startups with a valuation of $157B, apart from GenAI there are emerging technologies that are also reshaping the world. Among these is the rapidly developing field of autonomous electric flying taxis. Several major players are competing for dominance in the industry. Now, announcements are in Toyota has made substantial investments in this space, notably committing $500 million to Joby Aviation. 🤖 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eiJ8CgzU JoeBen Bevirt Thomas Ruf #tech #funding #news #aviation #eVTOL #startup #investment #technology #innovation #electricvehicle #airtaxis

A few days ago, Lilium, a company that was leading the way in #eVTOL technology, filed for insolvency. As someone who’s followed the eVTOL space for a long time, this news really saddens me. I may not be a finance expert or fully understand the market shifts in this industry, but it feels like a real loss. When I look at the many eVTOL projects out there, I always had a feeling some of them wouldn’t make it through the journey. It’s a tough race to push technology and development forward. But I also thought that, in the end, we’d see some of the strongest companies merging, teaming up, or getting taken over by others, so that just a few solid, future-proof players would remain. In my eyes, Lilium had what it took to be one of those. Lilium’s approach was quite unique, a fully electric model with micro-turbines, standing out among so many drone-like or tilt-rotor eVTOLs. They also had one of the strongest development and communication plans, or so it seemed to me as an aviation fan watching from the outside. So, seeing some of the hateful comments online about this news like “I knew it,” “ridiculous project,” “toys for the rich”, really disappointed me. It’s sad that many people today seem to feel the need to tear others down instead of having constructive discussions. It honestly makes me wonder if we’ll ever learn to disagree without aggression. But maybe that’s just today’s version of “free speech.” The way I see it, eVTOLs are a new part of the incredible aviation family. They’re proof that aviation is still driving innovation forward. Fifteen or twenty years ago, who could have imagined fully electric aircraft that can take-off and land vertically, taking people or goods over a certain distance without a single drop of fuel? Sure, I know that like electric cars, eVTOLs aren’t “perfect” when it comes to total emissions, especially when we factor in battery production, supply chain, and electricity generation. But it feels unfair to ignore all the progress just because it’s not flawless from day one. And this idea that eVTOLs are only for “the rich” doesn’t make sense to me. Technologies evolve and become more accessible with time, like mobile phones and computers once did. The criticism feels out of place. We should instead appreciate these projects (Lilium, Volocopter, Archer, Vertical Aerospace, etc.) for what they represent: the amazing things we humans can accomplish when we work together toward ambitious goals. Maybe this is also a chance to rethink how we support #innovation here in #Europe. We see billions being poured into armed conflicts and major non-EU trade programs, but maybe we should be backing our own projects a bit more. In the end, projects like Lilium’s may struggle or even fail, but they are important steps in building a future of sustainable air mobility. I think we sometimes forget how much creativity and talent it takes to get there. Let’s support that spirit rather than knock it down. Just my thoughts...

🚀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 As the world moves towards sustainable and efficient transportation solutions, the aerospace industry is witnessing a revolution with the rise of 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗲𝗩𝗧𝗢𝗟) 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁. A recent article by Aviation Week sheds light on a promising startup in this space: Sora Aviation. Sora Aviation, a startup based in Seattle, is making waves with its ambitious plans to introduce 30-seat eVTOLs into the market. This move marks a significant leap forward in the realm of urban air mobility, promising to revolutionise how we commute and travel within cities. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: Sora Aviation is at the forefront of innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technology to develop larger capacity eVTOLs. Their 30-seat aircraft promises to accommodate more passengers, thereby maximizing efficiency and reducing congestion in urban areas. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: With increasing urbanisation and congestion in cities worldwide, there is a growing demand for sustainable and efficient transportation solutions. Sora Aviation recognises this opportunity and aims to capitalise on it by offering scalable eVTOL solutions. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: The success of advanced air mobility hinges upon collaboration between startups, established aerospace companies, regulators, and urban planners. Sora Aviation understands the importance of collaboration and is actively engaging with stakeholders to bring their vision to life. 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: By transitioning to electric-powered aircraft, Sora Aviation is contributing to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the environmental impact of traditional air travel. This aligns with the global push towards sustainability and cleaner transportation options. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: While the road ahead may be challenging, with regulatory hurdles, infrastructure requirements, and technological advancements to navigate, Sora Aviation remains optimistic about the future of eVTOLs. They see immense potential in addressing urban mobility challenges and transforming the way we travel. As we witness the dawn of a new era in aviation, it's inspiring to see startups pushing the boundaries and reimagining the possibilities of air transportation. The journey towards advanced air mobility may be complex, but with innovative technologies and collaborative efforts, we are poised to revolutionise the way we move in cities.  #AdvancedAirMobility #eVTOL #Innovation #Sustainability #UrbanMobility #innovation #innovationhub #innovationinaction #manufacturer #manufacturingindustry #aircraft #Barnbrook

CHALLENGE ME ON THIS - eVTOL Aircraft are little more than a wireless extended-range cable car. Electric aircraft in General are not much different. They have a similar dependency on established ground infrastructure to support a specific A-B route. Once you understand this, you can start to effectively plan a realistic business use case for 2-6 seat electric air travel. Some hyper inflated electric aviation startups don't understand this, and they are burning millions in investor money to find it out the hard way. The global market for cable cars and ropeways was estimated to be worth US\$5 billion in 2023, and is projected to grow to US\$9.4 billion by 2030. Imaging 10x ing the range without the cost of erecting the cables. This is big business. But the ground hardware requirements to activate a route are substantial. Few know this as well as Fly On E Sustainable Aviation, who operates both electric and non electric passenger aircraft and charter operations in Australia. Let the debate begin... (AI image obvs)