Terrafugia TF-2.0 Lift + Push (defunct)

TF-2.0 Lift + Push
Terrafugia
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
www.terrafugia.com

Five MIT (USA) graduates founded Terrafugia in 2006 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA to design and manufacture hybrid-electric and all-electric vertical takeoff and landing VTOL roadable passenger aircraft. On November 13, 2017, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (China) purchased Terrafugia. The first models used petroleum engines for the power source and later the company began to design a hybrid-electric power source. The company has stated when battery density is much greater, their aircraft can be transitioned to have a 100% battery power source making the aircraft an electric VTOL (eVTOL) roadable aircraft. Terrafugia reported they had over 100 employees in 2020. In February 2021, the company laid off the majority of its employees and planned to close its US operations and re-establish their headquarters in China.

The TF-2.0 lift + push is a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft which will transport exchangeable passenger and cargo pods that become the underside of its fuselage. The aircraft has a speed of 138 mph (222 km/h), a range of 196-249 miles (315-400 km) km and a maximum payload of 1,102 lb (500 kg). The pilot is located inside the fuselage and the passengers are located inside a removable pod. The aircraft will eventually be an all-electric aircraft when battery density is great enough to provide the range needed for eVTOL passenger aircraft.

The TF-2.0 lift + push aircraft has a fixed high-wing with four propellers dedicated for VTOL flight, two forward of the wings and two aft on twin booms that in the rear of the aircraft become a duel rudder and high stabilizer configuration. A pusher-prop is at the rear of the fuselage and inside the rudder-stabilizer assembly. It employs electric motors.

The vehicle will carry and swap out streamlined pods that make up a lower fuselage. These pods can carry passengers, cargo or both. A custom-made ground vehicle (originally hybrid but ultimately fully electric like the TF) with an automated loading and unloading system will carry the pods behind their vehicle cab and can can exchange pods with the aircraft within two minutes. This type of transportation system take the passengers seamlessly from their home or office and takes them to their final destination without passengers having to make any transfers and without long lines and wait times at airports. With the quick transition and no passengers loading or unloading the cost to operate the vehicle is estimated at $400 per hour.

Terrafugia achieved widespread publicity after its first aircraft in 2009; the fixed-wing Terrafugia Transition was billed as “the world’s first practical flying car”. In late 2017 Terrafugia was acquired by the Chinese company Zhejiang Geely Group, which also owns multiple automotive companies including Volvo and Lotus car brands. This injected new capital into the Transition production, allowing acceleration in the company's eVTOL development. However, the company terminated all its eVTOL developments and folded Terrafugia into the company in 2019, creating its "Aerofugia" division — see its AE200 X01 technology demonstrator and other concepts listed in this directory. 

Prior to this, the company was studying two competing concepts under the designation of TF-2. These two different designs were a Vectored Thrust Tiltrotor model and the Lift + Cruise model. Both were considered to be compatible with the Uber Elevate concept. For more information on Terrafugia's other aircraft, please see the Terrafugia TF-X, Terrafugia TF-2, and Terrafugia TF-2A aircraft pages, now all defunct.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric and eVTOL roadable passenger aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot, in the future it will be autonomous
• Capacity: 4 passengers
• Cruise speed: 138 mph (222 km/h)
• Range: 196-249 miles (315-400 km)
• Flight time: Unknown
• Cruise altitude: Unknown
• Maximum payload: 1,102 lb (500 kg)
• Propellers: 5 propellers (4 dedicated VTOL propellers, 1 pusher propeller)
• Electric motors: 5 electric motors
• Power source: Hybrid-electric or 100% batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Wing: 1 high-wing
• Tail: 1 duel rudder and high stabilizer configuration
• Landing gear: Fixed skid-type landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Company Insights:

• Pitchbook
• Crunchbase
• MarketWatch
• Tracxn
• Wikipedia

Resources:

• Terrafugia website
• Terrafugia Facebook
• Terrafugia Twitter  
• Terrafugia YouTube
• Terrafugia Instagram
• Terrafugia LinkedIn
• Zhejiang Geely Holding Group website
• Article: The Demand for On-Demand Mobility, Vertiflite, Jan. 2017
• Article: Air Mobility Bonanza Beckons Electric VTOL Developers, Vertiflite, Mar. 2017
• Article: Terrafugia Acquired, Electric VTOL News, Aug. 23, 2017
• Article: Terrafugia Inc: 100-Day Update Since Acquisition by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Terrafugia, Feb. 28, 2018
• Article: Terrafugia Unveils New TF-2, Electric VTOL News, Jan. 2, 2019
• Article: Geely Unveils Terrafugia TF-2A, Electric VTOL News, Jan. 9, 2020
• Article: Terrafugia Flies Subscale TF-2A, Electric VTOL News, Mar. 2, 2020
• Article: Layoffs Reported At Terrafugia, AVweb, Feb. 17, 2021