A zero-emission air taxi, in which IP Group PLC (LSE:IPO) is a major investor, has completed its maiden flight in Australia.
AMSL Aero’s Vertiia all-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft flew by remote control after taking off from a site in New South Wales.
Designed to carry four passenger and a pilot at a cruising speed of almost 190mph, the Vertiia flight was the first ever by an eVTOL designed and built in Australia.
With first deliveries planned for 2026, AMSL intends to use hydrogen to enable the craft to be able to fly up to 1,000km, which IP Group said is “three times the range of any eVTOL”.
ASML Aero, where IP Group Australia owns a 35.2% stake, said the aircaft is the “world’s most efficient” eVTOL because the “combination of its unique aerodynamic and structural design means it travels further using less energy”.
As it can take off without the need for a runway, the company plans to market the aircraft to the medical, cargo, emergency and regional aircraft sectors.