Electric Vertical Aircraft (EVA)
BLADE Urban Air Mobility leverages technology to offer cost-effective air transportation, reducing travel friction on some of the most congested routes in the U.S. and abroad.
As the leading operator of urban air travel, no company flies more people in and out of city centers than BLADE.
We’re paving the way for the adoption of Electric Vertical Aircraft (EVA)—quiet, carbon-neutral, and cost-effective electric aircraft currently being developed and tested by our investors and partners.
On February 14, 2023, BLADE and BETA Technologies achieved a historic milestone with an EVA flight in New York, a key step toward integrating electric aircraft into our operations.
Electric motors enable aircraft to land like helicopters, cruise like planes, and do it all quietly—an essential innovation of EVA. By reducing noise, emissions, and costs, EVA technology aims to make urban air mobility accessible to more people in more places.
Countries like New Zealand, Singapore, China, and the UAE are already testing experimental EVA designs. While the first certified EVAs will be piloted, they are expected to transition to autonomous operations. These aircraft will seamlessly coexist with helicopters and heliports, streamlining goods transport and shortening commutes.
Advances in fly-by-wire control and distributed electric propulsion make EVA aircraft safer than ever. Leaders like BETA Technologies, Airbus, Boeing, Lilium, and Joby Aviation are spearheading this innovation. BLADE aspires to be the first and largest U.S. operator of EVAs for cargo and passenger transport.
Join the urban mobility revolution with BLADE—fly the future today.
EVA in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has recently announced its Urban Air Mobility Partnership, an initiative that will help shape the city into a key player in the electric vertical mobility race.
The city is undeniably a car city, but we’d like to see Angelenos take to the air. Mayor Garcetti, the City, and the Department of Transportation have partnered with Urban Movement Labs and Hyundai to bring urban air mobility to Los Angeles.
Electric Vertical Aircraft (EVA) or eVTOLs are flying now and will bring point-to-point, quiet, safe, emission-free flight to cities worldwide. BLADE has projected certification by 2025, with some aircraft certified as soon as 2023. Many aircraft manufacturers, as well as some major automakers like GM and Hyundai (Supernal), are working on electric aircraft designs.
Automakers see the opportunity to use batteries and technology they have developed for ground-based electric vehicles for aircraft. BLADE welcomes earlier certification and adoption and are excited to see more great companies joining the race to build electric aircraft. BLADE already flies to our Downtown LA / Staples center helipad and welcome building new vertiports connecting Los Angeles. By doing so, we can connect all of greater Los Angeles by air and all we need is more places to land. Electrification will make flying quieter, safer, greener, and more affordable.
BLADE Secures Up to 20 BETA Technologies Electric Vertical Aircraft for Delivery in 2024 (4/13/21 Press Release)
● Selected BLADE operators to receive the first passenger configured BETA aircraft in 2024
● BLADE’s asset-light business model leverages its strong flight volume and third-party
financing relationships to facilitate the purchase of BETA’s ALIA Electric Vertical Aircraft
by BLADE’s network of operators
● BETA will provide and install charging infrastructure at BLADE’s key terminal locations to
enable their use for quiet, emission-free urban air mobility services