Securing the FAA's G-1 certification basis is a key step for Archer Aviation as it works to certify its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft in time to start commercial air taxi services in 2024. The company says it will begin test flights with its two-seat Maker technology demonstrator before the end of 2021 and has agreed to supply data to the U.S. Air Force's Afwerx Agility Prime team, which is evaluating the eVTOL for possible military applications.

Prospective electric airliner launch customers EasyJet and VivaAerobus have been in discussions with Wright Electric as it develops its emotors and inverters. The company has tested its latest two-MW motor and is preparing to start ground testing on a complete powertrain by the end of 2021. It claims the system will deliver a power density of around 30 kW/kg, which will support its use for larger aircraft than are currently being developed with all-electric propulsion.

Bristow sees electric aircraft delivering cost savings and efficiencies that will enable it to diversify its business model in ways that aren't possible with existing helicopters. This could include adding cargo deliveries and onshore air taxi operations to its portfolio, as well as taking a new approach to existing operations such as offshore oil and gas industry support.

Entries for Phase 3 of UK Research and Innovation's Future Flight Challenge competition to support work on advanced air mobility, drone operations, and electric sub-regional air services will close on November 3. Up to £65 million in government funding is available to companies and organizations.

Samad Aerospace says that its all-electric eStarling Cargo vehicle will be able to carry up to a 50-kg (110-lb) payload on flights of up to 135 miles at speeds of 95 mph. The company is taking pre-orders as it starts the certification process and anticipatesdemand from businesses involved in oil and gas exploration and mining.

The passenger-grade EHang 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle and the Chinese company's Falcon logistics drone have completed beyond visual line of sight flight demonstrations for airport transport and parcel delivery operations in Estonia under the European Union’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation program.

Eve Urban Air Mobility and Australian helicopter operator Microflite plan to begin an eVTOL partnership in Australia using helicopters as a proof of concept to validate parameters that will apply to Eve’s Electrical Vertical Aircraft (EVA) operations.

Electric aircraft are being developed for a wide array of roles that could transform the public transportation of people and things, and also the way society deals with emergencies. There are significant differences in what the various designs and technologies can deliver and the operating models for which they are best suited. FutureFlight asked independent aviation expert Darrell Swanson to talk us through the ways that multicopters, fixed-wing, and lift-and-cruise designs differ, and how society can get the most from them.

VRCO is a UK-based start-up that has been working on its Xcraft eVTOL aircraft since 2016. After pursuing several funding options, it merged with the AIRO Group in April 2021.