Rolls-Royce Presents Electric ‘Flying Taxi’ at Farnborough Airshow

From Road Show, July 16:

Rolls-Royce EVTOL flying taxi concept packs electric propulsion
Its electrical system gets juice from an onboard gas turbine.


Since this concept is only meant to show off its propulsion system, a production version could end up looking wildly different

Rolls-Royce plc -- the company in charge of aircraft propulsion, not the automaker -- was not only a partner on Aston Martin's new flying car concept, it has one of its own, as well.

At the Farnborough Airshow on Monday, Rolls-Royce plc debuted its EVTOL concept in digital form. EVTOL stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing, and it's basically a flying taxi relying on Rolls-Royce plc's new propulsion system, which mates electric propulsion to a more traditional method of charging it.

Packing around 500 kW of electric power, the EVTOL concept relies on six rotors that provide vertical and horizontal propulsion. The concept gets its electric power from a M250 gas turbine, which means it can rely on traditional fueling infrastructure at airports to make sure it has enough juice. It can reportedly scoot about at speeds of up to 250 mph.

While the concept seen here can hold between four and five adults, Rolls-Royce plc won't be making any flying taxis on its own, as the concept is largely just to show off its new propulsion system. According to the BBC, Rolls-Royce plc is looking for two different partners on the project -- one to focus on the airframe, and one to focus on part of the electrical system. Considering Aston Martin designed its own VTOL craft this week with Rolls' help, perhaps there's something in the works over there....MORE

Previously:

February 2018
Airbus Tests Its Autonomous Flying Taxi

From our introduction to 2016's "Uber to Challenge Airbus in the Autonomous Electric Flying Taxi Business":

As the only analysts covering the nascent as-yet-theoretical autonomous electric flying taxi market we intend to be the the go-to source for all things autonomous electric flying taxi and/or theoretical....

Nov. 2017

"NASA is working with Uber on its flying taxi project" 

Sept. 2017

Dubai starts testing crewless two-person flying taxis

July 2017
Flying taxis to transport passengers in Moscow in 2018 

Here Comes Another Electric Flying Taxi Startup
October 2016
Uber to Challenge Airbus in the Autonomous Electric Flying Taxi Business
October 2016
The Effect Of Airbus' Cash Squeeze On Their Autonomous Flying Taxi Project Is Probably Nil
August 2016
"Airbus Reveals Ambitious Plan for Autonomous Flying Taxis"
Your move, Uber....