Photo: UrbanV
Italy is determined to play a leading role in Europe's emerging AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) industry. The perfect team to set this up should include an air taxi maker, a vertiport operator, an airline operator, and an energy solution provider, and that's exactly the magic formula behind the first AAM ecosystem in Italy.
Back in 2022, ITA Airways, which started operating in 2021, teamed up with Airbus, looking to introduce pioneering eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) flights in Italy. This year, two other big names were added to this dream team: Enel and UrbanV. Enel will provide the electric charging infrastructure for the Airbus CityAirbus NextGen air taxi, while UrbanV will bring its vertiport infrastructure expertise. The goal is to establish an AAM ecosystem for upcoming air taxi operations in Italy.
UrbanV is an AAM infrastructure company set up by Aeroporti di Roma, SAVE Group, Aeroporto di Bologna, and Aeroports de la Cote d'Azur with the aim of building and operating Europe's first vertiport located near Rome. UrbanV also established a partnership with Enel X Way, which is Enel's electric mobility company. Enel then became the first operator in Italy to provide charging solutions for electric aviation. The two would research and then implement the electric infrastructure required for eVTOL operations at multiple vertiports across Italy.
UrbanV has also signed MoUs with the German eVTOL maker Lilium in previous years. However, this new large-scale project centers around the CityAibrus Next-Gen air taxi designed by Airbus. This eVTOL is unique in the AAM market because it comes from one of the biggest names in aviation. It was introduced in 2021 as the culmination of nearly ten years of research into electric air mobility.
The CityAirbus eVTOL will be powered by a custom version of the MAGiDRIVE powertrain developed by MAGicaALL. This Californian company specializes in magnetic and electric power solutions for aviation. The lightweight brushless motor with a high torque (up to 50 Nm/kg) was particularly suitable for eVTOL operations because it combined a rugged design with low vibration and an integrated design with a fully enclosed air-cooled propulsion unit for both the motor and control system.
The Airbus-designed air taxi is a four-seat electric aircraft adapted for ultra-silent, urban operations. While able to reach a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph), it claims to be no louder than a household vacuum cleaner. The first CityAirbus NextGen flight demonstrations are scheduled to take place this year in Ingolstadt, Germany. In contrast, the first vertiport in Italy might be completed next year.
Italy's first vertiport is set to be up and running by the 2025 Jubilee when a large number of tourists are expected to visit the country, particularly Rome.
UrbanV is an AAM infrastructure company set up by Aeroporti di Roma, SAVE Group, Aeroporto di Bologna, and Aeroports de la Cote d'Azur with the aim of building and operating Europe's first vertiport located near Rome. UrbanV also established a partnership with Enel X Way, which is Enel's electric mobility company. Enel then became the first operator in Italy to provide charging solutions for electric aviation. The two would research and then implement the electric infrastructure required for eVTOL operations at multiple vertiports across Italy.
UrbanV has also signed MoUs with the German eVTOL maker Lilium in previous years. However, this new large-scale project centers around the CityAibrus Next-Gen air taxi designed by Airbus. This eVTOL is unique in the AAM market because it comes from one of the biggest names in aviation. It was introduced in 2021 as the culmination of nearly ten years of research into electric air mobility.
The CityAirbus eVTOL will be powered by a custom version of the MAGiDRIVE powertrain developed by MAGicaALL. This Californian company specializes in magnetic and electric power solutions for aviation. The lightweight brushless motor with a high torque (up to 50 Nm/kg) was particularly suitable for eVTOL operations because it combined a rugged design with low vibration and an integrated design with a fully enclosed air-cooled propulsion unit for both the motor and control system.
The Airbus-designed air taxi is a four-seat electric aircraft adapted for ultra-silent, urban operations. While able to reach a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph), it claims to be no louder than a household vacuum cleaner. The first CityAirbus NextGen flight demonstrations are scheduled to take place this year in Ingolstadt, Germany. In contrast, the first vertiport in Italy might be completed next year.
Italy's first vertiport is set to be up and running by the 2025 Jubilee when a large number of tourists are expected to visit the country, particularly Rome.
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