Airbus has unveiled the prototype of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, CityAirbus NextGen, with a collection of stunning photos.
The highly anticipated CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft is slated to be a gamechanger in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) world with Airbus’ vast experience in aviation and safety offering a huge advantage over competitors.
At a special ceremony held on March 7, 2024, Airbus also announced the opening of the new CityAirbus test center in Donauwörth, Germany, which will be dedicated to testing systems for eVTOL aircraft.
The CityAirbus NextGen prototype was unveiled ahead of its planned maiden flight later this year.
The two-ton class CityAirbus, with a wingspan of approximately 12 meters, is being developed to fly with a 80 km range and to reach a cruise speed of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour.
Airbus says the design is “perfectly suited for operations in major cities for a variety of missions”.
“Rolling out CityAirbus NextGen for the very first time is an important and very real step that we are taking towards advanced air mobility and our future product and market,” Balkiz Sarihan, Head of Urban Air Mobility at Airbus, said. “Thank you to our community, team and partners all over the world for helping us make this a reality.”
The Airbus executive has previously stressed that the company was “not in a rush at all on this one” and has little interest in being the first eVTOL available.
It is understood that CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL will go to market in the “second half of the decade”.
The Donauwörth center is a part of the company’s ongoing and long-term investment in AAM. It started its operations with the power-on of CityAirbus NextGen in December 2023 and will now be used for the remaining tests required before the prototype’s maiden flight. These tests cover the electric motors with their eight rotors as well as the aircraft’s other systems such as flight controls and avionics.
Meet our #CityAirbus NextGen, our all-electric, four-seat #eVTOL prototype. Based on a lift and cruise concept, it boasts an 80-km operational range and a cruise speed of 120 km/h – making it perfectly suited to a variety of flight operations in our cities and communities. pic.twitter.com/DmKxiAj56s
— Airbus Helicopters (@AirbusHeli) March 7, 2024
Airbus is also expanding its global network and partnerships to create a unique ecosystem that will foster a successful and viable AAM market.
Airbus recently signed a partnership agreement with LCI, a leading aviation company, to focus on the development of partnership scenarios and business models in three core AAM areas: strategy, commercialization and financing.