Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Honda Motor has revealed that it is developing its own model of eVTOL (flying car) that it plans to put into commercial development at the beginning of the 2030s.
The Honda eVTOL will be distinguished from almost all other eVTOL models by the fact that Honda is planning to equip it with a hybrid engine, not a fully electric engine as other developers are working on. It’s not clear what this means in terms of its carbon emissions, but Honda expects that this will allow for superior capabilities.
The model eVTOL exhibited possesses two wings with four propellers on each wing. The cabin for the occupants is designed to be spacious.
In terms of flight performance, the Honda eVTOL is expected to have a maximum cruising distance of about about 400 kilometers, considerably longer than most other eVTOLs being developed around the world. The firm expects that this will make it possible to transport passengers between cities.
In addition, it is expected to be capable of a maximum speed of about 270 kilometers per hour and have a cruising altitude between 1,800 to 3,000 meters. The weight-carrying capacity is expected to be about 400 kilograms.
The company expects to have a competitive advantage on other eVTOL producers based not only on its status as one of the world’s leading automakers, but also as the producer of the HA-420 HondaJet, which gives it rich experience in the aircraft industry, including the regulatory aspects of the business.
The timeline being sketched out is that practical tests of the Honda eVTOL will begin in the United States in 2023, regulatory approval gained near the end of the decade, and then the launch commercial operations in earnest at the beginning of the 2030s.
Honda is currently looking more at the North American market for its eVTOL than its home market of Japan.
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