The ePlane Company, a Tamil Nadu-based firm, plans to launch a commercial prototype of a flying taxi – earlier considered futuristic or part of a sci-fi movie – next year.
The company, founded by IIT-Madras professor Satya Chakravarthy and IIT alumnus Pranjal Mehta, is developing the first prototype of an electric flying taxi called the e200, which it hopes to sell by 2024.
The e200 will be a two-seater plane with a maximum payload of 200 kg and a range of 200 km. It can take off and land vertically.
It features two-propeller sets. One pair permits it to take off vertically, while the other aids in forwarding motion.
Additionally, the aircraft can be charged using the conventional charging methods for electric vehicles. It also works on flash charging options.
According to the website, the company aims for cargo certification of e200 in December 2022, taxi service launch in September 2024 and Federal Aviation Administration certification by April 2025.
Currently, the Indian company is assembling the e200. The design is in its final stage of completion and ePlane Company is expected to begin the fabrication shortly.
According to a report, Chakravarthy, who is also co-founder and technology lead at the company, said: “The idea is to make the most compact electric vehicles (flying taxis) in the world, so we can access building rooftops.”
The ePlane Company on its website stated: “EASA has put out world 1st guidelines for eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) certification. e200 will undergo standard certification.”
Additionally, it said: “Cities need safe, quiet and pollution free-transport. The markets need affordable, high mileage and easily certifiable product. Our consumers need door-to-door and on-demand travel.”
“We aim to achieve all these goals with our product by helping you travel quicker and saving you a significant amount of time. We also aim to build for the world through India and making our services affordable for the masses,” the firm noted on its website.
According to reports, the ePlane Company secured $5 million in pre-Series A financing led by Speciale Invest and Micelio earlier this year.
The startup has developed the e6, a compact electric vertical take-off and landing (e TOL) aircraft that can carry a payload of 6kg. It has an 80-kilometre range and is ideal for cargo transport. The ePlane Company is also developing a prototype called the e50, which can carry 50kg of payload and is expected to be commercialised by 2023.
However, following the completion of the e200 prototypes, the company will scout for landing sites, said Chakravarthy.
Among others, SkyDrive, a Japanese eVTOL startup, has announced a cooperation with Suzuki to work on development and full-scale manufacture of a “compact, two-seat electric-powered flying car”, which it wants to display at the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
Separately, Volocopter, based in Germany, has marketed its VoloCity craft as the world’s first commercially certified electrically powered air taxi, a vehicle that will someday operate without the need for a pilot. According to reports, its commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin in 2022.
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