Opener is recruiting early adopters to train and test out its unique personal eVTOL
Light eVTOL developer Opener has announced a unique testing program as it looks to achieve market certification and commercialization of its BlackFly aircraft. The company unveiled an Early Access Program today in which a dozen early eVTOL customers will not only get to experience Opener’s training and aerial technology first hand, but will report back about their entire customer experience.
Opener is Palo Alto, California-based eVTOL developer that began as a mere concept by founder Marcus Leng in 2009. By 2011, Leng was completing his first flight with a proof-of-concept personal aircraft in his own front yard in Canada.
For the past decade, Opener has been developing is flagship commercial eVTOL, called BlackFly. During that time, Opener developed and tested various versions of BlackFly, but the company didn’t catch our attention until 2018, when it performed a flight with a pre-production eVTOL.
Aside from looking a bit different from other eVTOLs we cover, BlackFly also has a unique tilt architecture where the eVTOL goes almost completely vertical (you can see it in the video below). With hundreds of billions of flight data points collected and several human-operated flights under its belt, Opener is starting BlackFly deliveries… but only to a very exclusive few that will need to be properly trained and share their experience.
The company’s first customer recently took delivery and was overjoyed during his first flight – have a look.
Have what it takes for Opener’s early eVTOL access?
Per Opener, it is beginning an Early Access Program (EAP) that will enable the first dozen BlackFly eVTOL customers to take to the skies… as long as they share feedback with the company of course. Per Opener CEO Ken Karklin:
We have a sound and novel aircraft design. Opener’s EAP establishes a two-way communication channel to inform how we address customer concerns, refine features, and optimize the overall user experience. Our close partnership with early adopters is a huge step toward moving us closer to general release and fulfilling the promise of personal aerial freedom.
Since BlackFly was designed as a light eVTOL aircraft that complies with the FAA’s Part 103 (Ultralight) category, no pilot license is required to take one for a ride. That being said, Opener relayed that it requires any and all eVTOL pilots undergo comprehensive flight training.
During the announcement, Opener introduced us to its very first BlackFly customer and early adopter Tim Lum, who recently completed his first flight documented by the company. He shared his initial thoughts as well:
Flight in a BlackFly is amazing. Even though I’ve been in and around aircraft for years, this is my first time as an official VTOL pilot. And the connection with my BlackFly goes well beyond the aircraft itself. It’s all the things that Opener does to assist me — from extensive flight training to delivery and ongoing support. The level of hands-on service is off the charts.
No word on official pricing or commercial production yet. It appears the EAP is Opener’s focus right now as it fine tunes its near-production aircraft.
Opener says the public is welcome to register interest in the Early Access Program, but limited opportunities are available. According to the program’s dedicated page, it looks like only 12 slots are up for grabs, 11 if you count Mr. Lum. That page also has the video of Lum’s experience you’ve got to see. Here’s a separate video of the BlackFly taking off and flying so you can get an idea of how it looks and functions before you obviously sign up to be a test pilot.
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JackRabbit, the maker of pint-sized electric microbikes, is back with a new product designed to quickly recharge their batteries from pure, uncut photons mainlined into an e-bike directly from the sun. In true independent charging form, the Solar Charging Kit from JackRabbit keeps riders rolling even when there’s not a convenient AC outlet in sight.
Unveiled this week, the Solar Charging Kit consists of a single folding solar panel and a tiny voltage converter that is configured to output 42.0V, which is the exact voltage required by JackRabbit’s little e-bike batteries. There’s also an added USB-A and a USB-C charging port for powering other devices in addition to charging JackRabbit batteries.
“This Solar Charging Kit plugs directly into your bike,” explained the company, “letting you recharge without needing an outlet, but with a speed comparable to the charger that comes with the OG/OG2 (42V, 2A).”
That would mean the panel outputs around 80W of solar power, which the company says can recharge its batteries in just three hours. That fairly quick recharging speed is helped by the fact that JackRabbit’s batteries are a mere 151 Wh, or around a third of the size of most e-bike batteries.
If that sounds small, then you’re right – it is. But JackRabbit is all about going micro, offering barely 25 lb rideables that are easy to store and bring on adventures, even when they aren’t actually being ridden.
With small batteries that fit under the 160Wh limit for many airlines in the US, the batteries can be quickly charged and taken to the widest number of locations. And for riders that want to go further than a single 10-mile (16-km) battery will allow, extra batteries are small enough to fit a pants pocket. The company also offers much larger Rangebuster batteries, though they won’t pass by TSA and make it onto an airplane in your personal item.
It sounds like the Solar Chargking Kit should be able to charge up JackRabbit’s large RangeBuster batteries, though likely in more than three hours.
The $349 Solar Charging Kit is a bit pricier than building something similar yourself, but it’s also safer and more convenient than hacking together your own battery charger since it’s designed to work with JackRabbit’s batteries right out of the box.
Technically it’s only inteded for JackRabbit’s micro e-bikes (themselves technically seated scooters, even if they look and feel more like a typical bike), but it’d probably work for just about any 36V e-bike that requires 42.0V to charge.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen solar charging kits for electric bikes, and it’s a trend that is certainly appreciated by outdoors and camping enthusiasts, festival goers, or anyone who finds themself and their bike spending extended periods in the great, sunny outdoors.
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Solar generated 11% of EU electricity in 2024, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time, according to the European Electricity Review published today by think tank Ember.
EU gas generation declined for the fifth year in a row, and total fossil generation fell to a historic low.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Dr Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the report. “At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline.”
The European Electricity Review published today by global energy think tank Ember provides the first comprehensive overview of the EU power system in 2024. It analyzes full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
Wind and solar continue their meteoric rise in the EU
The EU power sector is undergoing a deep transformation spurred on by the European Green Deal. Solar generation (11%) overtook coal (10%) for the first time in 2024, as wind (17%) generated more electricity than gas (16%) for the second year in a row.
Strong solar growth, combined with a recovery of hydropower, pushed the share of renewables to nearly half of EU power generation (47%). Fossil fuels generated 29% of the EU’s electricity in 2024. In 2019, before the Green Deal, fossil fuels provided 39% of EU electricity, while renewables provided 34%.
Solar is growing in every EU country and more than half now have either no coal power or a share below 5% in their power mix. Coal has fallen from being the EU’s third-largest power source in 2019 to the sixth-largest in 2024, bringing the end into sight for the dirtiest fossil fuel. EU gas generation also declined for the fifth year in a row (-6%) despite a very small rebound in power demand (+1%).
The EU is reaping the benefits of reduced fossil fuel dependency
The surge in wind and solar generation has reduced the EU’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and its exposure to volatile prices since the energy crisis. Ember’s analysis found that without new wind and solar capacity added over the last five years, the EU would have imported an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes of coal, costing €59 billion.
“While the EU’s electricity transition has moved faster than anyone expected in the last five years, further progress cannot be taken for granted,” continued Rosslowe. “Delivery needs to be accelerated particularly in the wind sector, which has faced unique challenges and a widening delivery gap. Between now and 2030, annual wind additions need to more than double compared to 2024 levels. However, the achievements of the past five years should instil confidence that, with continued drive and commitment, challenges can be overcome and a more secure energy future be achieved.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said: “This milestone is about more than just climate action; it is a cornerstone of European energy security and industrial competitiveness. Renewables are steadily pushing fossil fuels to the margins, with solar leading the way. We now need more flexibility to kick-in, making sure the energy system is adapting to new realities: more storage and more smart electrification in heating, transport and industries.”
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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