ZEVA Zero - eVTOL or UFO?
New, Individual Aerial Mobility Vehicle
Tacoma Washington-based ZEVA has developed an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff & landing vehicle) designed as a personal flying vehicle that holds one person. It has the distinct appearance of a UFO or flying saucer. It takes off quickly and efficiently vertically and then moves into a horizontal position for high speeds up to 160 mph. That means the occupant would be hurtling, headfirst, during the flight. This EV does not appear to be for the faint of heart. But interestingly, it is clearing test flights, has a range of 50 miles on a charge and does have significant efficiency advantages over some other eVTOLs.
Zero Has Tested Successfully
Zero has been under development for several years and has been successfully test flown several times. The testing has been done by operating Zero by remote radio controls in a rural area of Washington state. Mannequins have been onboard but that is soon to change with people taking the ride. The eVTOL has demonstrated capabilities of vertical climbing, hovering and taxiing among other functions. The testing program is being expanded throughout 2022.
How Does This Flying Tech Work & What Are the Advantages?
The occupant is encased in a composite body that is shaped like a UFO disc and serves as a lift generating wing. It takes off vertically and shifts to horizontal positioning for the forward flight. This form is unique, but experts believe that it has significant advantages. Zero is compact and can take off and land from very small spaces, making it more versatile and more useable than other eVTOLs. Zero's design is simple with no separate tilting propulsion systems or separate lift/cruise systems like other eVTOLs have. This makes it relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture. Also, it can achieve fast, efficient flight both in hover and cruise mode, according to experts.
Next Steps
ZEVA is currently raising money through an equity crowd funding campaign to accelerate development and production. With most daily commuting done by solo individuals, ZEVA thinks it may have quite a competitive edge on the emerging, personal air mobility market. The target customers are consumers. It can be pre-ordered for $5,000 and the actual cost for purchase is in the neighborhood of $250,000. ZEVA also thinks it will have a big market in emergency response as it can get in and out of very challenging terrain.
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