Plans for flying taxis and green public transport could be accelerated after an agreement was signed between electric mobility company Enel X Way and UrbanV, specialists in Advanced Air Mobility.
The two companies have partnered to leverage their respective expertise in order to develop synergies on joint projects at a global level, studying energy solutions for UrbanV’s vertiports to allow eVTOLs to be recharged sustainably.
Projects will focus on the study and implementation of Enel X Way electricity infrastructures integrated with storage systems in vertiports, dedicated eVTOL hubs, the definition of specific use cases and a customer experience to be adapted to the needs of different markets.
“With the signing of this memorandum of understanding, we become the first company in Italy to provide recharging solutions to the world of vertical take-off electric aviation, reaching a very important milestone after that of electric boating, which allows us to explore a new field for the development of sustainable mobility,” said Lorenzo Rambaldi, Head of Innovability at Enel X Way. “Advanced air mobility is a highly innovative and rapidly expanding sector, both in Italy and globally, and supporting its growth is an opportunity for Enel X Way to strengthen its commitment to the development of advanced charging technologies to power different types of electric vehicles”.
“With this agreement, we are launching a collaboration with a leading international partner, which demonstrates the will of two companies with a great drive towards the future to work together to find innovative, sustainable and truly effective solutions in this new mobility ecosystem,” said Carlo Tursi, CEO of UrbanV. “UrbanV is establishing itself as one of the leading global companies in the Advanced Air Mobility sector, working to position Rome as one of the first cities in the world able to offer direct connections by electric aircraft. We are already working on vertiport networks in other regions in Europe (e.g. Venice, Bologna, the French Riviera) and around the world, to accelerate the transition to mobility that helps not only to reduce CO2 emissions but also noise pollution.”
The companies believes this will lead to the implementation of innovative and sustainable Enel X Way recharging infrastructures in UrbanV’s vertiports on a global scale, starting with Rome and Fiumicino, Italy.
Compared to helicopters, eVTOLs have a 35% lower operating cost according to industry estimates and could become an economical and sustainable alternative to road transport, especially in busy cities. A reality that is already catching on in Italy, where UrbanV recently inaugurated the first test vertiport at Fiumicino airport, enabling the first flight of a piloted eVTOL.
Enel X Way aims to provide the technological infrastructure that will enable the management of vertiports and the recharging of these eVTOL aircraft.
The companies believe the service will be operational as early as 2024, after an initial test phase, enabling passengers to make fast, emission-free flights in urban settings
