Tag Archives: Commercial Vehicles

FAA opens up real world testing for air taxi startups

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US regulators have approved eight pilot programs across 26 states that will allow Archer, Joby and other eVTOL companies to finally start testing aircraft this summer, according to a US Department of Transportation (DoT) press release. That will allow those manufacturers to run trials for use cases like urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo, emergency medical operations and autonomous flight technology. 

The new projects were made possible by the White House's Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP) approved last year to allow certification for such aircraft to progress after being stuck in the mud for years. "By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move," US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time. 

Other FAA aircraft partners include Beta, Electra, Elroy Air, Wisk, Ampaire and Reliable Robotics. Key pilot programs were approved for the Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and North Carolina Departments of Transportation, along with New York and New Jersey Port Authority and the City of Albuquerque. We've already glimpsed some of the ideas, like Archer's plan to use air taxis between New York's major airports and city heliports.

A number of eVTOL startups have launched in recent years, but so far none of the aircraft have received "type certificates" for carrying passengers or other commercial purposes. Archer and Joby are the farthest along in that process, having been granted the FAA's final airworthiness criteria — the final step before full approval. 

The delays are mostly about safety and working eVTOL planes into existing aviation flows. "The gap isn't technical capability anymore. It's regulatory synchronization," the FAA's Kalea Texeira said last year on LinkedIn. "[That includes factors like] vertiports. Energy supply chains. Part 135 [commercial] integration. Pilot training frameworks that match the aircraft timeline." In the same post, Texeira added that Joby wouldn't certify until mid-2027 at the earliest, with Archer following in 2028.

The new program could help accelerate plane-makers' plans. In a YouTube video, Beta CEO Kyle Clark said selection for the program will help his company start operations a year earlier than it previously expected. Archer, meanwhile, compared the program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build trust with the public for its Midnight aircraft. "This is the clearest sign yet... that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority," said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/faa-opens-up-real-world-testing-for-air-taxi-startups-112219316.html?src=rss

Uber previews its Dubai air taxi service

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Uber is one step closer to going airborne. On Wednesday, the company previewed its air taxi booking service ahead of an expected launch in Dubai later this year. The inaugural Uber Air program will let travelers book Joby Aviation's electric air taxis through a familiar process in the Uber app.

The experience of booking an air taxi will be much like reserving a four-wheeled Uber. In the app, after entering your destination, Uber Air will appear as an option for eligible routes. The Uber app will book a flight and an Uber Black to pick you up and drop you off at a Joby "vertiport."

Three phone screens, showing the process of booking an air taxi in the Uber app
The process of booking a flying taxi will be instantly familiar.
Uber

Joby's air taxis, built exclusively for city travel, can accommodate up to four passengers and luggage. (Uber says size and weight guidelines will be announced closer to launch.) The interior is about the size of an SUV and has "comfortable seating" with panoramic windows. They can travel up to 200 mph and have a range of up to 100 miles. Four battery packs and a triple-redundant flight computer are onboard for safety purposes.

The air taxis aren't (yet) autonomous and will each have a human pilot onboard. That would at least suggest high prices. After all, pilots aren't nearly as cheap as Uber's legion of independent-contractor drivers. But the company insists its air taxi rides will somehow be around as expensive as an Uber Black trip.

A person looks out the window of an air taxi, viewing the city below.
Joby's air taxis have "panoramic" windows with a view of the city below.
Joby

Dubai is only the beginning of the companies’ plans. The US-based Joby says it's in the final stage of FAA type certification and hopes to launch service in New York and Los Angeles. Globally, it's targeting the UK and Japan as well.

As for how realistic a US launch is anytime soon, well, that's up for debate. On one hand, President Trump signed executive orders last year that would create a pilot program to test such aircraft. But safety and cost considerations may require a grounding of expectations.

View from above of a Joby air taxi sitting on the ground
The aircraft requires a human pilot, at least in these early stages.
Joby

In November, Robert Ditchey, a Los Angeles-based aviation expert and test pilot, told NBC News that he didn't think air taxi service "was ever going to happen" in American cities. "They're dangerous," he warned. "We have had helicopters fail and crash on top of buildings in Los Angeles. We've had helicopters fail at takeoff and landing in airports. They're dangerous not from a fire point of view but in terms of landing on top of people and buildings." In addition, he warned that air taxis can't be developed in sufficient numbers to make them economically viable "unless they are subsidized by a government."

Uber and Joby have partnered since 2019. In 2021, Joby bought the Uber Elevate ride-hailing division, which essentially integrated the companies’ services. Last year, Joby acquired Blade Air Mobility's passenger business, which could open the door to eventually electrifying Blade's routes.

The video below shows one of Joby’s air taxis taking a test flight in Dubai.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-previews-its-dubai-air-taxi-service-130000603.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Hydrogen-powered air taxi completes 523-mile test

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Joby Aviation says its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft successfully completed a 523-mile test flight, powered by hydrogen.

The only byproduct from the prototype, which has a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion system, was water vapor. The company suggested the test flight points to a future of emissions-free regional aviation in an industry that still relies heavily on fossil fuels. But it would say that.

This is apparently the first liquid hydrogen-powered eVTOL flight. Joby Aviation repurposed its existing battery-powered air taxi, installing a fuel tank that can store up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen to reduce the battery load for the craft.

Joby is set to start commercial operations of its air taxi as soon as 2025.

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It’s the end of the line for Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks. Its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late June but has shifted its filing from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, which means it intends to liquidate its business altogether. Redbox kiosks, typically in groceries and convenience stores, used to rent out movie DVDs and Blu-ray discs as well as video games.

Continue reading.

Further back in time, now. The German navy is taking a leaf from Japan’s government and … upgrading its floppy disk drives. The country’s fleet of submarine frigates has operated on old-fashioned 8-inch floppy disks (yeah — the big ones) since they were commissioned back in the 1990s. Replacing the floppy disk system won’t be an easy task. These disks pretty much control everything on the ships from airflow systems to power generation.

Continue reading.

TMA
SpaceX

SpaceX started offering select users its new Starlink dish model, small enough to fit in a backpack, in late June. Despite its easy-to-carry size, the Mini used to require an existing $150 standard service plan — you could only tack on the Mini Roam service for an additional $30 a month. Now, you can get it on its own with a roaming service.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-hydrogen-powered-air-taxi-completes-523-mile-test-111557165.html?src=rss

Joby Aviation says it completed a 523-mile test flight of a hydrogen-powered air taxi

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Joby Aviation says a hydrogen-powered version of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft successfully completed a 523-mile test flight. The only byproduct from the prototype, which has a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion system, was water vapor. The company suggested that the test flight points toward a future of emissions-free regional aviation in an industry that still relies heavily on fossil fuels.

This is believed to be the first liquid hydrogen-powered eVTOL forward flight. Joby kept the same shell and most of the guts of its battery-electric air taxi but it reduced the battery load and installed a fuel tank that can store up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. This is pumped into a fuel cell system to produce electricity, water and heat. The electricity generated from the fuel cell powers the air taxi's six electric motors while the batteries deliver extra power during take off and landing. 

Joby is set to start commercial operations of its air taxi as soon as 2025. While the eVTOL doesn't need a runway, it's limited to a range of 100 miles before it needs to be charged up, making it a good option for short hops like from your home to the airport. Should the hydrogen-powered model ever go into production, it could result in emission-free inter-city aviation that's faster than travelling by road or traditional planes. It'll be quicker to refuel a hydrogen-powered air taxi than to recharge an eVTOL too.

“Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water," Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said in a statement. "That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made towards certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality."

One major barrier in bringing this vision to fruition is obtaining enough sustainably sourced liquid hydrogen. As Inc. notes, that was a major factor in preventing Universal Hydrogen, a now-shuttered startup, from finding success. That company and ZeroAvia completed test flights of hydrogen-powered planes over the last couple of years. 

However, Bevirt is confident that there will be sufficient support from governments for hydrogen and green hydrogen supply and distribution. The US allocated $7 billion to set up green hydrogen hubs across the country under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. "The world is shifting to a hydrogen economy and aviation is one of the most important use cases for that green hydrogen supply," Bevirt told Inc.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/joby-aviation-says-it-completed-a-523-mile-test-flight-of-a-hydrogen-powered-air-taxi-154111466.html?src=rss

Boeing agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US government

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The US Department of Justice and Boeing have reached an agreement that the latter will plead guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the US government charge stemming from two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, the New York Times reports. 

In May, the DOJ announced that Boeing violated its 2021 deal to pay penalties and compensation, as well as implement major safety changes — just four months prior, a cabin panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight while it was at 16,000 feet in the air. The DOJ offered the company a plea deal on June 30, giving it one week to accept or face a trial. 

Boeing had struck a deal in 2021 over these crashes with the agency, promising to implement major safety changes and engage in no wrongdoing for three years. In May, the DOJ announced the company had violated the agreement, and on June 30 it offered Boeing a choice: accept a plea deal within one week or go to trial.

If the new agreement is approved by the court, Boeing will have to pay a fine of $487.2 million — however, part of it could be covered by payments made in the original agreement. Boeing will also be required to invest at least $455 million in safety and compliance over the next three years and have a DOJ-appointed third-party monitor its progress.

The deal was criticized as insufficient for  the crash victims. "This sweetheart deal fails to recognize that because of Boeing's conspiracy, 346 people died," Paul Cassell, a lawyer representing some of the families, said. "Through crafty lawyering between Boeing and DoJ, the deadly consequences of Boeing's crime are being hidden." 

In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay its customers $1.77 billion in compensation after authorities grounded the 737 Max plane for a year and a half. The deal also included the company paying $243.6 million in fines and $500 million into a crash-victim fund for the heirs, relatives and legal beneficiaries of the passengers killed in the flights near Indonesia and Ethiopia. 

The Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Evaluation Group (FAA AEG) determined that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) activated while both planes were in flight and was the likely point of failure. Two Boeing 737 Max flight technical pilots deceived the FAA AEG two years before the first crash, concealing information about an important change to the MCAS. If approved, the new deal will be Boeing's first new felony in decades.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/boeing-agrees-to-plead-guilty-to-conspiracy-to-defraud-the-us-government-124009566.html?src=rss

United Airlines grounds Airbus A321neo fleet over antiquated no smoking sign law

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United Airlines briefly grounded its fleet of brand-new Airbus A321neo planes, according to a report by Gizmodo. This had nothing to do with safety, as was the case with that recent Boeing controversy. Rather, it was due to the aircraft running afoul of a 1990 regulation regarding “no smoking” signs.

The 1990 ruling mandates that “no smoking” signs found on aircraft must be manually operated by the crew. The newly-designed Airbus A321neo features software that automatically displays the signage during a flight, so the crew doesn’t switch it on and off. That’s pretty much it. Meanwhile, smoking itself was fully banned from both domestic and international flights nearly 25 years ago.

Automated signage systems are not new. Many air travel companies bypass the 1990 regulation by applying for an exemption with the Federal Aviation Authority. United filed for this exemption on behalf of its entire fleet back in 2020, which was granted. There’s just one problem. The company's Airbus A321neo is so new that it doesn’t fall under the protection of that exemption. These planes just started flying the friendly skies two months ago.

United is seeking permission from the FAA to add the Airbus A321neo to the pre-existing exemption. The federal agency has given United permission to fly its fleet of A321neos, five in all, while evaluating this request.

“As the FAA noted, this is not a safety of flight issue. Our five A321neos were briefly out of service on Monday while we worked through this issue with the FAA, resulting in a handful of delays but no cancellations as we swapped that flying to other aircraft types in an effort to minimize disruption for our customers,” United wrote in a statement.

There’s just one question left to ask. It costs around $130 million to manufacture just one A321neo aircraft, so United spent $650 million to make this fleet. That’s a whole lot of cheddar, so why didn’t it get this exemption stuff sorted before the company started booking flights?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/united-airlines-grounds-airbus-a321neo-fleet-over-antiquated-no-smoking-sign-law-173652417.html?src=rss

FAA grounds roughly 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a cabin panel blew out during flight

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered airlines to temporarily ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 planes for safety inspections after an Alaska Airlines plane lost a cabin panel during a flight on Friday with about 180 people on board. The plane, which had only been in service since November, according to the New York Times, was able to safely land back at Portland International Airport in Oregon, where it had taken off from. There were no major injuries, though the Alaska division of the Association of Flight Attendants said workers described “explosive” decompression in the cabin and reported one flight attendant sustained minor injuries.

“The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 planes before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. “Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.” 

Immediately following the incident, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci put out a statement saying the company would be grounding its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft for what it expects to be a few days as it conducts safety checks. “Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections,” Minicucci. The FAA order extends the grounding to “approximately 171 airplanes worldwide” that are either operated by US airlines or in US territory.

Minicucci also said that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what happened with Flight 1282 and “we will fully support their investigation.” The plane had been on its way to Ontario, California. Reuters, citing FlightRadar24, reported that the blowout occurred at around 16,000 feet. In social media posts shared with Reuters and the NYT, passengers can be seen sitting right next to the gaping hole and the fully exposed sky.

Boeing's 737 Max was previously grounded for almost two years after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. All 189 people on board the plane were killed in the 2018 crash in Indonesia, and another 157 died in the 2019 crash in Ethiopia. In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion in a settlement with the Department of Justice to avoid criminal charges over the crashes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/faa-grounds-roughly-171-boeing-737-max-9-planes-after-a-cabin-panel-blew-out-during-flight-210331403.html?src=rss

Half of London’s famed black cab taxi fleet are now EVs

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Half of London's black cab fleet is now made up of zero-emission vehicles, manufacturer LEVC and Transport for London (TfL) announced. Of the 14,690 licensed taxis in the capital, 7,972 are battery electric vehicles (BEVs), with most manufactured by Geely's LEVC, according to the latest figures. The number of those models grew a fairly dramatic 10 percent in the last month alone. 

"Reaching this milestone is a great reflection of how London is working hard to be a greener, more sustainable, environmentally friendly city," said TfL's Helen Chapman. "London's black taxis are recognized worldwide and we are proud to see that so many drivers are helping clean up the air." 

New drivers haven't had a choice in the matter, though, as since 2018, TfL has required that all new cabs licensed in the city be zero emissions cable (the rule was extended to private minicabs last year). Cabbies with existing licenses have been motivated to change, too, as any still using less efficient vehicles have been required since 2020 to pay a daily rate (now £12.50) to operate in central London's Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Many of London's larger taxi and minicab operators have committed to fully-electric fleets by 2025. That includes the city's largest operator, Addison Lee (which uses VW ID 4s) saying it would reach that goal by 2023. London's Black Cabs are generally independently owned and licensed under strict rules by TfL. Uber recently announced that London's black taxis would be listed on its app and while some drivers have signed up, many decried the plan. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/half-of-londons-famed-black-cab-taxi-fleet-are-now-evs-134015907.html?src=rss