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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Based on the all-electric Mullen THREE electric chassis cab, Mullen says the new PowerUP mobile charging platform provides increased job site versatility thanks to on demand, mobile DC fast-charging.
The Mullen PowerUP ships with its own 160 kW battery pack, with a modular design that’s capable of bringing up to 1 MWh wherever it’s needed, whether that’s a job site without a grid connection or a disaster relief effort. The mobile charging station delivers that power through two 60 kW DCFC ports, 2 20 kW L2 AC chargers, or a pair of 12V jumper terminals for getting ICE-powered vehicles going again. And … if all this sounds familiar, there’s probably two reasons for that.
The first is that the Mullen PowerUP is remarkably similar, visually, to a mobile EV charging truck shown by Mack Trucks back in March. Based on a Mack MD Electric and hauling a “renewable” natural gas gen set to provide electrical power, a concept version of the truck was shown at the ACT Expo in May, but remains “just” a concept.
The second is that Mullen already launched a PowerUP mobile EV charger last year. That “original” PowerUP was based on the larger, Class 5 Mullen FIVE and it, too, carried a gen set. This new PowerUP, meanwhile, is fully electric, and is more of a mobile BESS than a mobile generator with EV ports attached to it.
Mullen PowerUP mobile BESS
“We’re constantly innovating and adapting to meet the evolving needs of the industry,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. “The feedback on the initial PowerUP concept was overwhelmingly positive, but the market is clearly looking for a zero-emission solution. By leveraging our all-electric Mullen THREE, the new PowerUP delivers recharging at a higher level of scalability and performance while offering zero emissions for both the vehicle and power unit.”
Mullen is developing PowerUP at its High Energy Facility located in Fullerton, California. Mullen says its acquisition of battery pack production assets from Romeo Power have significantly accelerated the development of the truck as a fully battery-based mobile charger.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve been hyper-critical of Mullen over the years, but while I’m still unconvinced about the brand’s automotive/sporty-car aspirations, these guys are starting to win me over on the commercial truck side. They’re building solid-state batteries, delivering hundreds of trucks, have units in inventory, are building out their national dealer network, and they are absolutely terrifying the competition – many of whom are still a year or 18 months away from delivering their medium-duty cabover trucks to customers.
So, when it comes to Mullen, I’ll leave it like this: I’m starting to believe.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Mullen, via email.
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The latest addition to Sunbelt Rentals’ ever-expanding lineup of zero-emission construction equipment is here, and it’s an all-electric skid steer set to be deployed on the Gateway project at UC Berkeley, California.
UC Berkeley’s Gateway will be the future home of the school’s computer and data science departments. Students there will explore technological solutions for an equitable and decarbonized future – making zero-emission equipment like the electric Bobcat T7X skid steer is a natural fit for this project.
And, more than that, it was one of the reasons Turner Construction won the job. “It’s all about supply and demand. The electric construction equipment market depends not just on the development of the technology itself, but on a contractors’ willingness to pilot, rent, and streamline that equipment too,” explains Emi LaFountain, Regional Sustainability Manager for Turner Construction. “It’s thrilling to be at the crux of both positions and be a part of that push for a lower-carbon job site.”
The Bobcat T7X features a 76.2 kWh powering a 107 hp electric drive motor and several other servos and axial motors that, together, are good for 7500 lbs. of breakout lift force … but the question of whether or not that’s enough to get the job done is still something that a number of fleet managers need to see to believe – which is why the ability to rent electric equipment like this from a company like Sunbelt is such a critical step towards mainstream adoption.
“We are grateful to be able to provide our customers with new technology that will aide in achieving their sustainability goals along with doing our part to provide environmentally friendly solutions in the construction equipment realm,” says Sunbelt Product Line Manager, Jenny Pratt. “Our customers will be able to operate outside of normal working hours and in applications where its’ diesel counterpart would not be suitable. This allows for increased productivity and quicker job completion.”
The deployment of the electric skid steer marks a second such “first” for Turner in California. The other being was the company’s pilot of the Volvo EC230 Electric 30 ton excavator initially piloted by Skanska earlier this year.
Electrek’s Take
I said it earlier in the article, but it’s worth repeating: the ability to rent electric equipment like this from a company like Sunbelt is such a critical step towards mainstream adoption.
In the same way that a rental car is so many people’s first experience with an electric car, a short-term rental may be that first experience an operator has with a battery-electric skid steer, wheel loader, or telehandler. As such, Sunbelt should be commended for adding BEVs to its fleet. Here’s hoping other companies step up as well.
SOURCES | IMAGES: Bobcat; Turner Construction.
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A used 2020 Tesla Model 3 is available for sale on a CarMax lot on March 10, 2022 in Burbank, California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Back in February, used electric vehicle prices dipped below used gasoline-powered vehicle prices for the first time ever, and the pricing cliff keeps getting steeper as car buyers reject any “premium” tag formerly associated with EVs.
The decline has been dramatic over the past year. In June 2023, average used EV prices were over 25% higher than used gas car prices, but by May, used EVs were on average 8% lower than the average price for a used gasoline-powered car in U.S. In dollar terms, the gap widened from $265 in February to $2,657 in May, according to an analysis of 2.2 million one to five year-old used cars conducted by iSeeCars. Over the past year, gasoline-powered used vehicle prices have declined between 3-7%, while electric vehicle prices have decreased 30-39%.
“It’s clear used car shoppers will no longer pay a premium for electric vehicles,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer stated in an iSeeCars report published last week. Electric power is now a detractor in the consumer’s mind, with EVs “less desirable” and therefore less valuable than traditional cars, he said.
The gap between used luxury brands and EVs has widened, too. Used BMW prices exceed prices for comparable, all-electric, Tesla vehicles by a significant amount, according to iSeeCars. A Tesla Model 3 cost $2,635 more than a BMW 3 Series in May 2023, but by May of this year, was priced over $4,800 less than the 3 Series.
More people are selling their used EVs today than ever before, at least partially because the market is bigger than every before. In 2022, 176,918 used EVs were purchased in the U.S. In May alone, that number increased to over 45,000. There are many more vehicles in the used market than new car market, and used vehicle value does rapidly depreciate as a rule. A one-year-old used car is, on average, priced at 80% of the same car sold new. As more EVs enter the used market at lower prices, the EV market does become available to a wider market of potential first-time EV owners.
There are reasons why EV premiums are more likely to decline in the used market regardless of the recent consumer perception shift: battery technology is continually getting better, increasing range on new models, and consumers also worry about batteries degrading over time. Newer models have longer ranges and improved battery life with temperature control for charging. Between 30-50% of the value embedded in an EV is the battery. But offsetting that is the fact that EVs have lower overall owner costs, from fuel to maintenance, and owners of used EVs can qualify for federal tax credits.
A key factor in the recent decline in used EV prices has been Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who began an industry price war as demand slumped by cutting prices in 2023, with price cuts on Model X, Y and S vehicles continuing into 2024. Scott Case, the CEO of Recurrent, a startup that measures EV battery performance for auto consumers, recently told CNBC that declining used Tesla prices correspond to new Tesla price drops, followed by decreasing prices across used EV competitors.
In January, Hertz also shifted its aggressive EV strategy to sell off 20,000 EVs at Hertz Car Sales locations, roughly one-third of its EV fleet, selling used Teslas at a “no haggle” $25,000 average price across the country.
Declining market demand for EVs and a lack of infrastructure have pushed many auto companies to step back from aggressive EV rollouts, and put more promotion behind hybrid models, which are experiencing a boom. General Motors recently cut its expected sales and production of EVs from a 200,000–300,000 range to 200,000-250,000. EVs made up less than 3% of GM’s Q1 sales. Ford has faced losses from its Model E electric vehicle rollout, even as combined hybrid and EV sales rose in May. Ford has now made the decision to rescind a program announced during the initial EV boom that required Ford dealers to make significant investments in EV infrastructure to be able to sell electric vehicles.
Charging infrastructure is still in an early stage and without increased infrastructure, switching to electric vehicles is an accessibility issue for many Americans. But access to EV chargers is growing. There are over 64,000 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations in the United States, with over 176,000 total EV charging ports, according to the Department of Energy. EV charging infrastructure has grown by 29% since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included tax incentives to adopt EVs. There are roughly 145,000 gas stations in the U.S.
A Pew Research analysis using Department of Energy data found that roughly six in 10 Americans now live within two miles of a public charger, though only 7% of people who live within two miles of a charger will consider buying an EV, Pew found. Most EV charging still occurs at home, while there are also rural EV “deserts.”
A Gallup poll of Americans in April found ownership of EVs increasing by 3% annually, but an equal percentage decline in consumers who indicated serious interest in buying an EV, down from 12% to 9%. Overall, 35% of Americans said they might consider buying an EV in the future, down from 43% last year.
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