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VoltAero's universal mobile charger for the Cassio family of electric-hybrid airplanes and other electric aircraft was unveiled Wednesday at the Dubai Airshow.
The intelligent charging unit made its world debut, shown on VoltAero's exhibit stand at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates. The unit is part of the VoltAero strategy to create an infrastructure for the Cassio airplane family, beginning with the five-seat Cassio 330. The charger will also be compatible with applications with other electric aircraft and eVTOL.
The unit is capable of delivering energy to recharge the Cassio 330 in 30 minutes, using a combination of supercapacitors and batteries to create a power output of 100 kW. As part of the unit's intelligence, users can program autonomous deployment to designated locations at an airport or landing zone for recharging.
At the Dubai Airshow VoltAero will also display its Kawasaki Motor's four-cylinder and six-cylinder internal combustion engines for the Cassio electric-hybrid propulsion module. These engines will be able to run using hydrogen and VoltAero is targeting a Cassio 330 electric-hydrogen demonstrator for 2025. The Cassio family will be an efficient and reliable aircraft product line for regional commercial operators, air taxi/charter companies, private owners and the utility-category service for postal delivery, cargo and medical evacuation applications.
Through the integration of VoltAero's patented electric-hybrid propulsion system into the purpose-designed airframe, Cassio will deliver a premium performance level compared to the current competition at a significantly lower operating cost. VoltAero's propulsion concept is unique, with Cassio aircraft using an electric motor in the aft fuselage-mounted hybrid propulsion unit for all-electric power during the various phases of flight, if the travel distance is less than 100 miles. The hybrid feature and its internal combustion engine work as a range extender to recharge the batteries during flight. The hybrid element also provides backup in the event of a problem with the electric propulsion to ensure fail-safe functionality.RELATED STORIES:VoltAero completes world's first electric-hybrid flight on 100 percent SAFKawasaki, VoltAero lock-in hybrid engine deal at AirVenture"This latest development underscores how VoltAero and its partners already are taking steps beyond our development of the breakthrough Cassio family to evolve an optimized infrastructure that will support the e-aircraft sector," VoltAero CEO and CTO Jean Botti said.