Photo: Giancarlo Zema Design Group
Vertiports and vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) have long passed the utopian phase, as the high population density in large cities is an ever-growing problem. But if we want to bring air transportation to the new era, our solutions also have to be eco-sustainable. And that’s what Italy is prepared to do, with the new tree-shaped eco-vertiport designed for tourists.
EHang and Giancarlo Zema Design Group (GZDG) have partnered to build an eco-friendly vertiport in Italy, using only green materials and technology. The vertiport will be shaped like the African baobab tree.
As announced on the GZDH, the structure will be a 30-meter (98.4 feet) high tower built of laminated wood, steel and covered with non-slip photovoltaic panels that can generate more than 300 kilowatts of solar energy power per day. The vertiport will be able to recharge EHang’s popular autonomous aircrafts.
In addition to its independent plug-and-play charging capabilities, the baobab vertiport will also serve as an entertaining aerial hub for tourists waiting for their flights. The vertiport will have a 200-square-meter (2,152 square feet) panoramic restaurant, a waiting room, a café, and a connecting lift. The roof terrace of the vertiport will be the take-off and landing area.
EHang is one of the players in the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) market, working to create passenger transportation and logistics, smart city management, and more. Giancarlo Zema Design Group is an Italian company based in Rome, which specializes in eco-friendly architecture, floating habitats, interior, and yacht design.
Even though the baobab vertiport is just a futuristic design for now, the sky is the limit for the two companies. Giancarlo Zema Design Group and EHang claim they have several projects in mind, both in Europe and Southeast Asia, as they plan to conquer the eco-tourism sector. And they are not alone in this venture. German aerospace company Lilium is also working on 10 vertiports in Florida, to allow the operation of its VTOLs for passenger transportation.
As announced on the GZDH, the structure will be a 30-meter (98.4 feet) high tower built of laminated wood, steel and covered with non-slip photovoltaic panels that can generate more than 300 kilowatts of solar energy power per day. The vertiport will be able to recharge EHang’s popular autonomous aircrafts.
In addition to its independent plug-and-play charging capabilities, the baobab vertiport will also serve as an entertaining aerial hub for tourists waiting for their flights. The vertiport will have a 200-square-meter (2,152 square feet) panoramic restaurant, a waiting room, a café, and a connecting lift. The roof terrace of the vertiport will be the take-off and landing area.
EHang is one of the players in the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) market, working to create passenger transportation and logistics, smart city management, and more. Giancarlo Zema Design Group is an Italian company based in Rome, which specializes in eco-friendly architecture, floating habitats, interior, and yacht design.
Even though the baobab vertiport is just a futuristic design for now, the sky is the limit for the two companies. Giancarlo Zema Design Group and EHang claim they have several projects in mind, both in Europe and Southeast Asia, as they plan to conquer the eco-tourism sector. And they are not alone in this venture. German aerospace company Lilium is also working on 10 vertiports in Florida, to allow the operation of its VTOLs for passenger transportation.
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