Photo Credit: Supercar Blondie
The electric mobility sector is ever-expanding, with planes, trains, buses, cars, and bikes all making the list in promoting emissions-free travel. Now, we can begin adding a new tier, exemplified by the single-passenger Hexa aircraft.
A recent TikTok video by Supercar Blondie (@supercarblondie) shared a firsthand experience with this electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle made by Lift Aircraft, where they added the tagline: “Never experience a traffic jam again with this.”
@supercarblondie Never experience a traffic jam again with this 😂 #drone #future #flying ♬ original sound – Supercar Blondie
That may be a bit of hyperbole, as the one-seated hover will have restricted test zones for civilians, at least for the time being. However, the company stated that it won R&D contracts with the U.S. Air Force in 2020 to advance its air ambulance and autonomous cargo retrieval programs.
The design has a central, single-seater pod with 18 independent electric motors whirring overhead to provide lift. Each has its own separate battery for fault tolerance, and the company claims the Hexa can land safely on both land and water with only six of them running.
The flight process is simple and backed by a triply redundant autopilot system. After doing flight-check procedures on the tablet-based dashboard, a quick tap will have you automatically raised to 35 feet, where you can take control with the 3-axis joystick.
Lift Aircraft began development in 2017 and quickly made progress that led to its first manned flight in 2018. It’s not the only eVTOL that’s being developed; however, with companies such as Australia’s Vertiia already making untethered flight tests. That vehicle aims to carry passengers, while Hexa aims to bring the solo flight experience to more people.
“LIFT is using technologies that have matured in the drone industry to democratize human flight — a natural progression that will soon provide a clean, exciting, and efficient alternative to sitting on congested roads burning fossil fuels,” Colin Guinn from DJI North America shared on the company’s website.
Global air travel and transport are responsible for 3.5% of all drivers of climate change originating from human activities, with about half of those CO2 emissions generated in the last 20 years, as explained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This has pushed the industry to find more sustainable — and less polluting — means of propulsion, including battery and hybrid power sources. Sustainable aviation fuel could help offset the pollution from current jet fuels, but it’s still being developed and may only supply a small fraction of demand by 2030.
“We are taking a large step forward to ensure the manufacture of more fuel-efficient airplanes, reduce carbon pollution, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” Mike Whitaker of the Federal Aviation Administration shared in a press release.
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That doesn’t mean we can’t dream about using Hexa aircraft for our future commutes. One TikTok commenter added: “The Hexa drone takes care of 2 of my problems, traffic and parking. I would avoid traffic and park on the roof when I get home.”
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