Overair completes assembly of its first full-scale Butterfly eVTOL prototype, will begin flight testing
Advanced air mobility startup Overair is celebrating a significant milestone this morning, completing its first full-scale Butterfly eVTOL prototype ahead of flight testing in 2024. With its unique rotor design compared to many other eVTOLs, Overair’s electric aircraft looks to achieve commercial operations in multiple countries.
Overair is an advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist based in Santa Ana, California, that was spun out of Karem Aircraft in 2020. In three short years, the Overair team has combined decades of aerospace experience into a flagship electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) airfcraft called the Butterfly.
The Butterfly’s current design enables transporting up to five passengers plus one pilot, or 1,100 pounds of cargo. The eVTOL prototype has been advertised to achieve speeds of 200 mph, traveling approximately 100 miles on a single charge. Up until this point however, Overair had yet to build a full-scale version of the Butterfly.
That process really gained momentum in the summer of 2022, when Overair announced $145 million in funding to help get its Butterfly eVTOL into the prototyping stage ahead of actual flight testing.
Since then, we’ve seen the startup ink a letter of intent to sell up to 20 Butterfly eVTOLs in South Korea and two additional memoranda of understanding in Texas to help bring commercial EV operations to the northern region of the state.
Today, Overair has shared a vital progress update as it enters 2024 with eVTOL prototype testing on the schedule.
Overair eVTOL prototype complete, flight testing to begin
Following propulsion testing in 2022, Overair has officially assembled its first full-scale Butteryfly eVTOL prototype. When flight testing inevitably begins, Overair will finally take to the skies with two novel aviation technologies: Optimum Speed Tilt Rotors (OSTRs) and Individual Blade Control (IBC)Technology.
The company states that initial tests will validate the flagship eVTOL’s propulsion systems, flight control mechanics, safety features, and operational efficiency. The overall noise of the eVTOL (a huge factor in the future success of the segment) will also be assessed as Overair targets a noise level of 55 decibels. Overair CEO Ben Tigner spoke to the company milestone:
Assembling our first full-scale prototype vehicle marks the culmination of years of industry expertise, meticulous development planning, innovative engineering, and the hard work of the entire Overair team. This seamless transition from propulsion testing to a full-scale prototype underscores our dedication to redefining the eVTOL landscape with safer, quieter, and more reliable aircraft.
As the first eVTOL to arrive equipped with OSTR and IBC technologies, Overair’s Butterfly flight testing has some hype surrounding it. That process will begin in early 2024 with a vehicle-level testing phase at its Santa Ana headquarters, followed by more expansive flight testing at a facility in Victorville, California.
Looking ahead beyond flight testing, Overair says it already has its eyes on certified eVTOL operations and has garnered interest from both commercial and military customers. We will keep an eye out in 2024 and can hopefully share footage of the Butterly prototype taking its maiden flight.
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On today’s sunny side up episode of Quick Charge, we take a look at the latest from the world of solar power, and discuss Congressional Republicans’ plans to limit your energy independence by eliminating a critical tax credit for homeowners nearly ten years early. (!)
We’ve also got a quick review of a massive solar farm powering 200,000 homes in Indiana and the biggest solar project East of the Mississippi – both part of a record 98% of all new power generation and grid capacity introduced in 2025 coming from wind and solar. Those are jobs, those are lower utility rates, those are energy independence … so why are Congressional Republicans working to make that more expensive?
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives along Masonic Avenue on April 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Alphabet’s Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.
In March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo’s driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.
“We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!” the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. “While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future.”
The $5 billion Empire Wind is back in business. The Trump administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has lifted its stop-work order for Empire Wind, a major offshore wind project off the coast of New York led by Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor. Construction is now allowed to resume.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal welcomed the news, saying the restart reinforces Equinor’s commitment to delivering clean energy while supporting local economies and saving thousands of jobs. He also credited a wide coalition of officials for helping get the project back on track, including Trump, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and congressional leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Dan Goldman. Opedal also thanked the Norwegian prime minister and the minister of finance for raising the issue with the US administration.
Governor Hochul said in a statement that “countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials” had taken place.
Neither the BOEM nor the Department of the Interior has issued a comment.
The Trump administration halted construction of the 54-turbine Empire Wind on April 16, but discussions between Equinor, regulators, and leaders at the federal, state, and city levels led to a reversal. That means Empire Wind can now push ahead with its goal of powering 500,000 New York homes with offshore wind energy.
“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the US and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. She added that Empire Wind is boosting supply chain investments across the country, with activity in New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Carolina.
Equinor plans to reassess the project’s financials in the second quarter. The goal is still to install turbines offshore in 2025 and hit full commercial operation by 2027. The company says it will work with suppliers and regulators to minimize any delays from the month-long pause.
Empire Wind was first awarded its offshore lease in 2017 after a competitive federal process. It received its final construction green light in early 2024 following an extensive environmental review. Construction kicked off shortly after, and the project is now over 30% complete.
The US is a major market for Equinor. The Norwegian energy giant says it has invested around $60 billion in US energy projects since the early 2000s, more recently in low-carbon solutions, critical minerals, and renewables. Empire Wind is one of its flagship projects in the US.
Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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