Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee studied the effects of an eVTOL aircraft’s power demands on lithium-ion batteries after repeated cycling. The research team found that the power and performance demands for air taxi operations, particularly during takeoff, reduce battery performance and longevity.

Electron sees its all-electric fixed-wing aircraft connecting smaller cities over distances of up to 500 kilometers based on currently available batteries, with energy reserve provision for an additional 250 kilometers.

Autonomous flight pioneer Reliable Robotics has announced two new government contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense that will bolster its efforts to bring remotely piloted aircraft to market. NASA has awarded Reliable and Ohio State University $6 million for a collaborative research project to advance autonomous flight tech and industry standards. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx innovation unit has selected Reliable to participate in the Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program, which could provide up to $1.9 million.

The next two years for the advanced air mobility sector will see a wave of consolidation as some eVTOL aircraft developers drop out of the intense competition to make it to market, according to Honeywell Aerospace, a strategic partner and supplier to multiple new programs. Leaders with the U.S. group’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems/Urban Air Mobility business unit told journalists at a briefing in London on March 22 that it does not expect to see air taxi operations launching until 2026, with another two years before these scale up significantly.

The leadership team of XTI Aerospace on Monday updated investors on plans to bring the TriFan 600 VTOL aircraft to market, almost two weeks after the company’s March 13 listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange following the merger between XTI Aircraft and tech group Inpixon.

The FAA has opened a consultation on proposed special conditions for certifying Safran’s EngineUs 100 electric motors. The propulsion systems have been selected for use on multiple new electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, including the nine-passenger eSTOL model being developed by Electra and Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer family.

The UK government has pledged to back industry stakeholders in facilitating the launch of passenger-carrying, piloted eVTOL air services in 2026, with autonomous flights to be trialed by 2030. These ambitions are spelled out in the UK Future of Flight Action Plan, published by the Department for Transport on March 18.

Providing the right ground and air traffic management infrastructure for new eVTOL aircraft operations is a big task for the advanced air mobility sector in terms of investment and planning. AIN recently invited experts from Supernal, Skyports, Beta Technologies and Rolls-Royce to discuss what this will take and to flag up issues some may not have adequately considered.