Joby Boosts Board in Preparation for Wall Street Flotation
Reinvent Technology Partners co-lead director Reid Hoffman is set to join the board of eVTOL aircraft developer Joby, along with Google's general, counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado, and former Southwest Airlines CFO Laura Wright. Following the anticipated completion of a merger with special purpose acquisition company Reinvent Technology Partners on August 5, the company will trade under the name Joby Aviation and be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Wisk-Archer Trade Secrets Case Goes to Full Trial after Preliminary Injunction Denied
Archer characterized a U.S. federal court’s denial of Wisk’s motion for a preliminary injunction as a victory in its defense against charges that it was complicit in using stolen trade secrets for its Maker eVTOL technology demonstrator. The full trial is now set to begin in San Francisco on August 11 and is likely to include more extensive testimony from employees of both companies and arguments over the basis for their competing eVTOL aircraft designs.
KinectAir Offers Fractional Shares in VoltAero's Hybrid-Electric Cassio Aircraft
Through KinectAir's Pioneer fractional ownership program, an unspecified number of VoltAero's four-seat Cassio 330 aircraft will be based at U.S. airports. Shareowners will be able to earn revenue by allowing other people to use the aircraft, but full details for the terms and conditions have yet to be released. The Cassio aircraft is expected to enter service in late 2023 and have a projected range of up to 800 miles.
Eve Guarantees eVTOL Flight Hours to Flapper Charter Platform in Latin America
Embraer’s Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions and private on-demand charter broker Flapper are launching a partnership to serve as a proof-of-concept for future operations of Eve’s eVTOL aircraft in Latin America. The agreement calls for up to 25,000 flight hours to be offered via Flapper's booking platform.
Beam Touts Off-Grid Solar Power for Electric Aircraft
Beam Global's Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger uses a moving array to capture energy from the sun before storing it in batteries and then supplying DC power directly to aircraft or ground vehicles. The units operate entirely off-grid and can be quickly installed in space of around the size of a standard car with no construction costs. The California-based company demonstrated the technology's potential application for aviation by making a record-setting flight across the state.
Cape Air Spells Out the Case For Electric Regional Services
In a presentation to the Electric Aircraft Symposium, Cape Air CEO Dan Wolf conceded that the business case for new propulsion technologies isn't fully confirmed in the regional airline sector. Nonetheless, the carrier is planning to introduce the nine-passenger Eviation Alice electric aircraft to its fleet, operating it on routes of up to around 500 miles once it completes FAA type certification.
Universal Hydrogen Joins Deutsche Aircraft's Project To Convert Dornier 328 Regional Airliner
Deutsche Aircraft is already working with another German company called H2Fly to build a hydrogen-powered technology demonstrator version of the Dornier 328 regional airliner using H2Fly's fuel-cell system. Now it may opt to integrate Universal Hydrogen's modular fuel capsules into the converted aircraft and through a new partnership is exploring the technical ramifications of this plan.
Volocopter Steps Up Plans for eVTOL Air Taxi Network Across Malaysia
Volocopter says the business case for investing in urban air mobility services in the Asia Pacific region is supported by the conclusions of a Porsche Consulting study that said this part of the world will account for around 45 percent of the global market. The eVTOL aircraft manufacturer wants to work with the Malaysia Airports group to establish vertiports across the country.
European Cities Join Forces to Plan for Urban Air Mobility
Aachen in the west of Germany is cooperating with neighboring cities in Belgium and the Netherlands to integrate eVTOL and eSTOL aircraft into their public transportation networks. They say local citizens want flexible and environmentally sustainable services for moving in and around cities, including Maastricht, Liege, Hasselt, and Heelen.
Archer Attorneys File New Brief Rebutting Wisk Trade Secret Theft Allegations
The latest court filing in the intellectual property dispute between eVTOL aircraft developers Wisk Aero and Archer Aviation urges federal judge William Orrick to reject Wisk's motion for a preliminary injunction. Archer's lawyers say Wisk has not proven any of its allegations that Archer's Maker eVTOL demonstrator is based on designs developed by Wisk that were passed on by former employees moving between the California-based companies.