Coming to Los Angeles: Taxis that skip freeways
Overair expects its vehicles to be flying by 2026
Ever wished you could step into an air taxi and glide above LA's traffic gridlock?
Two local companies have partnered to make that dream a reality with a fleet of all-electric, vertical-takeoff taxis that will ferry passengers and cargo across the skies of Southern California.
Urban Movement Labs, a transportation-minded nonprofit launched by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2019, and Overair, an electric vertical takeoff-and-landing company based in Santa Ana, hope to have the vehicles up and running in 2026.
Overair touts its “Butterfly” aircraft as an alternative transportation option in metropolitan areas. Each Butterfly — equipped with four rotors — will be capable of carrying up to six people (five passengers and a pilot),
or 1,100 pounds of cargo.
They'll be able to travel about 100 miles at speeds of up to 200 mph, powered by all-electric propulsion. The aircraft will be capable of taking off and landing at existing pads that service helicopters, company officials said. They have yet to reveal what Butterfly's dimensions will be.
“We've tested some smaller prototypes and a full-sized propulsion system,” said John Criezis, Overair's head of mobility
operations for Overair. “We're in the process of building a full-sized prototype now.”
Overair recently secured $145 million in funding from Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace to continue development of its aircraft, bringing the company closer to its goal of flying an experimental prototype in 2023.
The company's first step will be to get the vehicle certified for flight by the
Federal Aviation Administration. Criezis said they'll make “learning adjustments along the way as needed.”
“It's a very involved process,” he said. “They will be flying at an altitude of 1,000 to 3,000 feet.”
Sam Morrissey, Urban Movement's executive director, said his organization is looking to stay ahead of the curve.
“We wanted to look at advancements in air mobility before the technology arrived to put it into effect,” he said. “We've partnered with a number of companies that are working on this through the Urban Air Mobility Partnership.”
The partnership's mission is focused on community, government and industry engagement to ensure a collaborative approach to urban air travel.
Morrissey said it's too early to determine what typical airfares aboard a Butterfly will be. But he acknowledged the service won't necessarily be cheap and will initially appeal to travelers with deeper pockets.