eVTOL Aircraft To Take Off In Western Australia

Up to 50 new electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft may be flying Western Australian skies, with the first flights as early as 2026.

A partnership between Aviair, HeliSpirit and Eve Air Mobility is intended to result in zero-emission flights to some of Western Australia’s most iconic tourism attractions; including the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and Greater Perth regions.

Eve’s eVTOL aircraft have overhead wings with distributed rotors and rear propellers that the company says offer the convenience and limited landing requirements of a helicopter while providing the speed and comfort of a similar sized fixed-wing aeroplane.

Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOLs will be much quieter too – up to a 90% reduction in noise compared to conventional helicopters – making the craft particularly attractive for use in sensitive natural settings and urban environments.

“Eve’s eVTOL technology is well-aligned with our business model and desire to be at the forefront of carbon-neutral solutions for the aviation industry,” stated Aviair and HeliSpirit Managing Director, Michael McConachy.

Commenting on the partnership, WA Climate Action Minister Reece Whitby said:

“Continuing to embrace innovation is critical to the State reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Government, business and the broader community are becoming increasingly ambitious in meeting emissions targets – and I would like to congratulate businesses like Aviair and HeliSpirit, who are showing their commitment to conserving our environment.”

Eve eVTOL Secrecy

The reason an artist’s impression of Eve’s 4-passenger eVTOL has been used for this article is none have been produced yet – although an operational concept vehicle was shown in a March 2021 video.

There doesn’t appear to be any detailed specifications for the eVTOL on Eve Mobility’s web site – it all seems rather hush-hush, but the Vertical Flight Society makes a few guesses and offers some detailed background on the project and players involved.

While a production version of the eVTOL is yet to materialise, Eve Mobility is an Embraer company, which has clocked up more than 50 years in the aerospace industry and delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. So, there’s some smarts and significant financial support backing this project.

About The “Zero Emissions”

While there won’t be any tailpipe on Eve’s eVTOL aircraft, the source of charging will need to be considered and how these craft will be charged by Aviair/ HeliSpirit wasn’t stated.

Aviair mentioned it is eager to look into urban air transfers between the city and various locations around Perth.

OpenNEM data indicates in Western Australia’s South-West Interconnected System (SWIS), renewables supplied 32% of electricity demand last year – up from 26.3% in 2020 and 21.9% in 2019. Renewables’ share this year to date in the SWIS is 40.2%, but this is a good time of the year for renewables, particularly solar power. By 2026 the share of renewable energy could be even higher.

To make up any shortfall, perhaps Aviair/ HeliSpirit will have something in place to make these aircraft truly zero emissions in operation, such as installing solar panels and battery storage at its heliports or a Power Purchase Agreement with a renewables provider.

On a related note, another electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft we’ve mentioned here on SolarQuotes is the Lilium Jet.