In a significant move towards advancing urban air mobility, Hitachi Energy, based in Zurich, has entered into a partnership with Eve Air Mobility, an air mobility company. This collaboration aims to address the infrastructure challenges associated with urban air transportation, commonly referred to as flying cars. The partnership is formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that outlines their commitment to exploring the integration of vertiports—designated take-off and landing areas for urban air vehicles—into existing energy grids. This initiative is particularly timely as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has projected that Urban Air Mobility could become a commercial reality within the next three to five years, especially in densely populated regions where traditional transportation methods face significant challenges.
The collaboration will leverage Hitachi's extensive global energy infrastructure, which is already deployed in various regions, to ensure that vertiports are reliably connected to the power grid and can meet the energy demands of electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft. Eve, headquartered in Florida, specializes in manufacturing EVTOL aircraft and has been actively conducting flight tests since December of the previous year. The company has also received approximately 2,700 letters of intent from prospective customers, indicating strong market interest in urban air mobility solutions.
Eve Air Mobility's CEO, Johann Bordais, emphasized the importance of cross-industry collaboration in building a successful urban air mobility ecosystem. As the sector moves closer to commercial operations, understanding the integration of charging infrastructure, grid connectivity, and vertiport energy requirements becomes increasingly critical. Marco Berardi, head of grid and power quality solutions at Hitachi Energy, highlighted the urgent need to balance rising electricity demand with the decarbonization of the power system, reinforcing the belief that no single entity can achieve the energy transition independently.
The partnership also aims to explore the potential for repurposing aircraft batteries for energy storage after their aviation lifecycle, further contributing to sustainability efforts in urban air mobility. This collaboration between Hitachi Energy and Eve represents a significant step towards realizing the vision of urban air transportation, addressing both energy and infrastructure challenges while paving the way for a new era of mobility in urban environments.
