All the eVTOLs at the Dubai Airshow: The biennial aviation summit Dubai Airshow kicked off earlier this week bringing companies together to showcase their latest tech offerings in aviation. Among the latest developments getting notable attention at the event is eVTOLs with new offerings from UK-based Bellwether Industries and Crisalion Mobility. The event will run until next Sunday.

The Oryx: Launched under Bellwether Industries’ Volar category of aircrafts, the multirotor vertical take-off and landing Oryx — announced last year — has an 80 km flight range on a 20 minute charge (watch, runtime: 00:05). The Oryx is also expected to have a 140 km/h top speed (watch, runtime: 00:39). The wingless eVTOL currently has a 2-passenger capacity with plans to expand future models to accommodate four. The company says the eVTOL was designed with urban transport in mind to facilitate green intercity travel.

An improvement on earlier designs: Last year, the company completed the flight testing campaign for a prototype of the Oryx (watch, runtime: 00:11). The prototype, although “ridiculously good looking,” was met with some criticism for its “wobbly” takeoff system. The company has reportedly made improvements, installing a “cognitive flight control system” and an adaptive electric propulsion system to address earlier design issues, Aviation International News (AIN) reports.

Bellwether is expanding with an eye on MENA: The UK company has two research and development centers, one in the UK and the other Taiwan, and is currently looking to set up an office in MENA to expand regionally, AIN notes.

The Integrity: Spanish sustainable transport solutions startup Crisalion Mobility — which recently raised EUR 15 mn in its Series A round — also debuted its Integrity eVTOL, which can accommodate up to five passengers, AIN reports. The eVTOL has a 100 km flight range at a cruise speed of 180 km/h, the news outlet notes. Crisalion aims to close another funding round by 1Q 2024.

Other local offerings: Emirati green tech company Eanan is also showcasing its locally manufactured small cargo S-120 and S-700 eVTOLs at the airshow. The S-120 has a one-hour/30 km flight range with a flying speed of 60 km per hour and a capacity to carry 50 kg of products to be delivered. The S-700 heavy cargo eVTOL has a 700 kg maximum take-off weight with a 200 kg payload capacity.

The UAE might have an eVTOL air taxi network up and running by 2026: The Abu Dhabi Investment Office signed an agreement with US-based, Mubadala-Capital backed net-zero aircraft maker Archer Aviation last month to explore the possibility of establishing an air taxi network in the Emirates by 2026, according to a statement. The company alongside Falcon Aviation and Gal-Ammroc will collaborate with the government to launch their eVTOL-based air taxi services in the country, and Archer said it would partner with Emirati aircraft makers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers in Abu Dhabi to spearhead the domestic production of eVTOLs in the country under Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster. SAVI aims to establish a smart and autonomous vehicle development hub in Masdar city in a bid to add between AED 90 -120 bn to the economy. Electric aircraft maker Joby Aviation also joined the SAVI initiative last month.