FARNBOROUGH, England -- A group led by luxury automaker Aston Martin is the latest to eye the urban air market, unveiling a vertical take-off and landing concept vehicle in conjunction with the Farnborough International Airshow.
Aston Martin's VTOL, called the Volante Vision, is being designed with assistance from Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce.
The autonomous Volante Vision would seat three and be powered by a hybrid electric propulsion system, not entirely unlike Rolls-Royce's own VTOL also announced at Farnborough.
"With the population in urban areas continuing to grow, congestion in towns and cities will become increasingly demanding," said Dr. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and CEO. "We need to look at alternative solutions to reduce congestion, cut pollution and improve mobility."
The company did not say when a test model might be ready, though others in the urban VTOL market have been targeting dates in the early 2020s.
