The eVTOL, since time, you should know. It is the acronym for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (to be translated by "  electrical apparatus with vertical takeoff and landing  "). We regularly hear about these devices since the principle of eVTOL is popular with most companies working on new modes of air mobility - in particular the flying taxi. Most, but not all, since the American startup Electra.aero is working on a variant: eSTOL, for Electric Short Takeoff and Landing (or “  short takeoff and landing electric plane  ”).

City center plane

Here, we therefore do not rely on verticality but on very short take-offs and landings, which can be carried out, depending on the brand, on surfaces smaller than a football field (between 90 and 120 meters). Concretely, the idea here is to offer an alternative to eVTOL - equipped with rotors and operating more or less like helicopters - with a device more like a conventional plane. But requiring a much smaller space to take off or land - a roof of a large building could be sufficient - and can therefore, theoretically, also be operated in the city. In short, a downtown plane.

Another advantage is that the eSTOL consumes much less energy on take-off than an eVTOL. To get into the air, the plane only needs to reach 30 mph (around 50 km / h) and can then fly at a cruising speed of 200 mph (around 320 km / h).

Horizon 2026. Last difference, unlike most eVTOLs, the eSTOL does not need to stop at the kiosk between flights. Designed as a hybrid, the aircraft includes eight electric motors and a turbo-generator that recharges the batteries during flight. A little trick allowing the plane to obtain a range of 500 miles (about 800 kilometers). Designed to carry up to eight passengers and a pilot, the craft is still at the design stage but the company said it is aiming for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration by 2026.