Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Startup Launches Hydrogen Powered Air Vehicle Effort In LA Debut
A privately held startup, with an eye on the air transportation market, debuted its hydrogen powered air vehicle in a rollout in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Alaka'i, a Hopkington, Mass.-based aerospace startup, showed off a full scale model of its Skai "air mobility system", a hydrogen-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicle the firm hopes to deliver within the next few years. The design for the futuristic vehicle was developed in the Los Angeles area, and was co-designed by BMW Designworks, which is based in Newbury Park. In a launch event on Wednesday morning, Alaka'i said it is aiming to have a range of 400 miles on its hydrogen-powered air vehicle, with capacity for 5 passengers, including a pilot--and eventually, allow the air vehicle to navigate autonomously. Skai says its founders have worked for NASA, Raytheon, Beech, Cirrus, Dayjet, and the Department of Defense, and that it has an un-named investor which has committed to funding its efforts to bring a new air vehicle to market; Steve Hanvey, the company's CEO, declined to name that investor. The company said it is creating a "radically simple and safe electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle" which runs entirely on hydrogen fuel cells.