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ePlane E200 Electric Air Taxi To Arrive By 2023 - The Solution To India's Traffic Issues?
Chennai-based startup ' The ePlane Company' has revealed plans to launch a prototype electric air taxi by 2023. Dubbed the E200, the electric plane will have a range of 200 kilometres.
Chennai-based startup 'The ePlane Company' has revealed plans to launch a prototype electric air taxi by 2023. Dubbed the E200 by the electric air taxi's makers, this small electric aircraft is expected to go on sale in 2024.
The ePlane Company's E200 air taxi is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft powered by electricity (more commonly known as eVTOL). ePlane claims that the E200 can take off like a drone and fly around like a conventional plane. For takeoff and landing purposes, the E200 air taxi features four large rotors similar to the ones you find on contemporary drones.
Another detail released about the ePlane E200 is its size. The air taxi which is capable of vertical takeoff and landing measures just 5 metres long and 5 metres wide despite featuring wings at both the front and the rear.
The ePlane Company claims that the E200 electric air taxi is capable of taking two passengers a distance of up to 200 kilometres on a single charge. The Chennai-based startup claims that the ePlane E200 can hit a top speed of 200km/h and can carry a payload of up to 200 kilogrammes.
The ePlane E200 will fly at an altitude between 500 and 2000 metres above the ground. The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft will operate with the use of both fixed wings and rotors.
Compared to a regular taxi, ePlane claims that the E200 will be able to take passengers to their destination a whole lot faster while being a whole lot quieter, and safer. The startup which was incubated at IIT-Madras claims that the E200 electric air taxi will initially cost 1.5 to 2 times the price of a regular taxi service but the cost is expected to come down once the service becomes more popular.
No details have been revealed about the electric motors or the size of the lithium-ion battery pack. However, the startup has revealed that the E200 will support both conventional electric vehicle charging methods along with ultra-fast flash charging.
ePlane is aiming to get the E200 certified for cargo hauling by the end of 2022. The air taxi service is expected to start in 2024 and the company plans to get the E200 certified by the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) by 2025.
Thoughts On The ePlane E200 eVTOL Air Taxi
The ePlane E200 eVTOl air taxi has set itself a set of rather ambitious goals which at first seem to be straight out of a science fiction movie.
However, with electric vehicle technology moving forward at a mind-boggling rate, we won't be too surprised if the electric air taxi service actually takes off in 2024. Till then we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best from the rather high functioning minds behind this game changing project.