UAV Embraer unveils new flying vehicle for future urban air mobility

The new concept was presented for the first time during the Uber Elevate Summit 2019 in Washington D.C. The event, said Embraer, convenes a global community of manufacturers, policymakers, government officials and investors, all working to make urban ridesharing a reality.

The new aircraft concept is an eVTOL aircraft, meaning it can electrically take-off and land vertically. It is part of the EmbraerX multi-project approach.

“As a market accelerator committed to developing solutions to transform life’s experiences, we have been combining human-centered design thinking with our 50-year history of building and engineering expertise in a unique manner. These are the factors behind the technical progress and leading-edge innovations we are bringing to this new eVTOL concept,” said Antonio Campello, President & CEO, EmbraerX. 

A wide range of tests and simulations have been performed by Embraer, aiming at operational optimization for the urban environment. The manufacturer wants the new eVTOL concept to be fully electric powered, progressively autonomous, have a lower noise footprint and low operating costs.

Mark Moore, Engineering Director of Aviation, Uber added: "Embraer's team focused on the customer experience with their latest vehicle concept, using built-in redundant systems to achieve optimal safety, while also achieving low noise output with an eight-rotor system, which enables span-wise lift. Our team looks forward to continued collaboration with the Embraer team to achieve a quiet, green, and safe, aerial ridesharing vehicle."

In addition, Embraer has proposed a practical, simple and robust urban air space design in partnership with various air traffic controllers, pilots and industry experts. This design is set to allow more aircraft to fly in urban environments.

Embraer was founded in 1969 and has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft since then. The whole Embraer-produced aircraft fleet transports a total of 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is also the leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats.

Subsidiary Embraer X is a market accelerator that develops new solutions that transform life´s experiences. Embraer X has put its focus on developing progressive new technologies for the future aviation industry.