Honda eVTOL (concept design)

(Image credit: Honda)

Honda eVTOL (concept design)
Honda
Tokyo, Japan
www.global.honda

On April 22, 2021, Honda's President and Representative Director Toshihiro Mibe revealed in a press conference posted on YouTube, the company will be selling 100% electric vehicles and that all its offices and manufacturing plants will be powered with 100% renewable energy by 2050. The company also plans to be selling all electric vehicles globally by 2040. In a very short segment of the video, Honda also plans on making an all-electric or a hybrid-electric or possibly both, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and expects it to be in service sometime after 2030.

During the President's message, Mibe recognizes the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic has changed the world we live in and the pandemic has become opportunity to change society to be a better place for everyone. Mibe stated the Covid-19 pandemic has also become a catalyst for major good changes for the future. Honda affirms their goal to produce mobility products on a mass scale to help people connect with each other, make their lives safer, freer, helping people to become more prosperous and protecting the environment and world we live in.

In addition, Mibe stated that the awareness of global environmental problems is not important to him on a personal level but on the Honda corporate level. He stated Honda switching to all electric vehicles is taking place because the only way we as a society can move forward is for Honda to accelerate our conscious of coexisting with earth and in business have ethical behaviors to solve our global environmental problems. This is accomplished by reducing the environmental impact with the products Honda makes which will ultimately result in the safety and protection of our precious human lives.

Honda Target Goals by 2050

• Carbon neutral on all products and corporate activities
• Use clean energy (solar panels, windmills, etc.) to power all their facilities
• Resource recycling, that is, using the spent products to recycle and make new products. (This is what is also known as cradle to cradle recycling. Where waste, such as used cars and motorcycles, can be turned into new products or the waste can be returned directly to the earth and turn into clean and non-toxic dirt.)
• Vehicles will be all-electric, hydrogen and/or hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles
• Zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles
• Produce and promote mobile battery packs
• Produce hydrogen fuel cells which can be used in vehicles and portable power supplies
• Manufacture and sell high-quality low-cost solid state batteries
• To begin to use their own manufactured solid state batteries in their vehicles by the late 2020s
• To make self-driving vehicles for urban mobility
• To make electric vehicles for land, air, water and space - including eVTOL aircraft for Urban Air Mobility

To achieve the goal of selling all electric vehicles, Honda plans on spending ¥5 trillion Yen ($45.7 trillion USD - May 4, 2021 exchange rate) in the next six years. Additional, they plan of making their top selling vehicles to be electric first and then continue with the rest of their vehicles to be powered by electricity.

At the time of Honda's April 22, 2021 press release, it does not discuss any details of the eVTOL aircraft nor does their Innovation web pages on Honda's global website discuss any type of electric aircraft that is planned for production, for Urban Air Mobility. In the fall of 2024, Honda's eVTOL web page has a few more specifications of their passenger eVTOL aircraft.

Honda passenger hybrid-electric eVTOL concept design aircraft
The Honda hybrid-electric eVTOL sleek and futuristic concept design aircraft holds one pilot, four passengers and their luggage. The aircraft has been designed with a luxury interior and larger than normal windows for spectacular views for the passengers. The Honda eVTOL aircraft has been made for short and long flights for advanced air mobility (AAM).

While the cruise speed and cruise altitude has not been estimated by Honda as of 2024, the expected range of the aircraft is 400 km (250 m). The aircraft has eight dedicated VTOL propellers, two pusher propellers for forward flight, has 10 electric motors and is powered by a gas turbine engine hybrid-electric power source.

The aircraft has two high tandem wings with winglets and with booms parallel to the fuselage to hold the VTOL propellers. The front tandem wing has a shorter length than the rear wing. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite for a high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear.

Some of the safety features of the aircraft include Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to enhance safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

Subscale Prototype
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on October 29, 2024 gave the company an exemption to proceed with testing flights of their subscale prototype. The authorization to fly the prototype is valid until October 2026. The prototype's tail number is N241RX.

Future
Honda's future plans, they are striving for zero accidents in all their vehicles which might indicate their eVTOL aircraft could be fully autonomous. Honda is predicting their eVTOL aircraft will be in service sometime after 2030.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric VTOL
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Capacity: 4 passengers and their luggage
• Range (estimated): 400 km (250 m)
• VTOL propellers: 8 VTOL propellers
• Forward flight propellers: 2 propellers for forward flight
• Electric motors: 10 electric motors
• Power source: Gas turbine hybrid-electric power source
• Windows: The aircraft has taller windows than most standard aircraft, for spectacular views for the passengers
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Wings: Two high tandem wings with winglets and with booms parallel to the fuselage to hold the VTOL propellers
• Tail: There is no tail for the aircraft but there are two vertical stabilizers at the end of the rear wing, near the rear of the aircraft
• Landing gear: Retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to enhance safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

Resources:

• Honda website
• Honda eVTOL web page
• Video: Honda, The Power of Dreams, Honda, Apr. 22, 2021
• Article: Summary of Honda Global CEO Inaugural Press Conference, Honda, Apr. 23, 2021
• Article: Honda Commits to Selling Only EVs and Fuel-Cell Vehicles by 2040, Car and Driver, Apr. 23, 2021
• Article: Honda details plans to sell electric vehicles only in North America by 2040, Detroit News, Apr. 23, 2021
• Article: Honda announces 100% ‘electric’ sales by 2040, but there’s a twist, Electrek, Apr. 23, 2021
• Article: Honda accelerates along EV road under new CEO Mibe, Nikkei Asia, Apr. 23, 2021
• Video: Making mobility in the skies more accessible for people: Honda eVTOL, Honda Global, Oct. 28, 2022
• Article: Honda eVTOL aircraft receives Red Dot Design Concept Award, Honda European Newsroom, July 31, 2023
• Article: Honda cleared by FAA to begin eVTOL demonstration flights, Flight Global, Oct. 31, 2024