Terrafugia TF-2
TF-2
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.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group also owns:
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
Geely Auto (gasoline automobile manufacturer), Geometry (100% electric automobile manufacturer), Link & Co. (gasoline automobile manufacturer with a heavy focus on digital connectivity inside the vehicle including internet and cloud services), Proton (gasoline automobile manufacturer), Lotus, Volvo, Polestar (100% electric high-performance car manufacturer), Cao Cao (ride hailing service), London EV Company (which was the London Taxi Company with the iconic black taxis and are now hybrid-electric), Yang Cheng Auto (producing clean commercial vehicles such as buses, semi-trucks, etc., either powered by 100% electric or methanol) and Mitime private education, sports and tourism.
The TF-2 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is not only a very sleek and modern looking design but an all inclusive urban ground mobility and urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle. The TF-2 has three separate units: 1) The TF-2 eVTOL aircraft, 2) the passenger module and the 3) ground vehicle. It’s a three-in-one fly and drive transportation system.
This is an on-demand type system which allows passengers to be picked up by a van-type ground vehicle at their origin, take them to a vertiport, the van will back into the rear of the aircraft (autonomously) and attach the passenger module from the van to the TF-2. Then the TF-2 aircraft fly to its destination. Once landed, another ground vehicle backs into the aircraft, attaches the passenger pod to the van, then drives them to their final destination. The passenger stays inside the passenger module for the entire trip for a very consumer friendly, convenient and realistic way to travel quickly in dense urban areas.
The company has also developed a cargo pod which is similarly focused on making the transportation of cargo fast and convenient in urban areas. We do not know if Terrafugia is hiring, if you are interested in applying for a job there, please check with the company to see if there are job openings. For more information on Terrafugia's other aircraft, please see the Terrafugia TF-X, Terrafugia TF-2A, Terrafugia TF-2 Tiltrotor, and TF-2.0 Lift + Push aircraft pages.
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric VTOL and in the future 100% electric VTOL (eVTOL)
- Ground vehicle: Hybrid-electric and in the future 100% electric, loading the passenger or cargo pod in the rear of the aircraft
- Piloting: 1 pilot at first, then in the future, autonomous
- Capacity: 4 plus luggage
- Cruise speed: 143 mph (125 kts, 230 km/h)
- Max range: 185 miles (300 km, 190 nm), with 30 minutes reserve power
- Max payload: 1,400 lbs (635 kg)
- VTOL propellers: 6
- Forward propellers: 2 propellers (each with 2 blades)
- Electric motors: 8 electric motors
- Power source: Hybrid-electric (in the future, powered 100% by batteries)
- Wings: A high canard wing with a high full wing in the rear of the aircraft. The rear wing has propellers on each tip of the rear wing.
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber reinforced polymer fuselage
- Booms and tail configuration: 2 booms on each side and parallel to the fuselage for the VTOL propellers which extend to the front of the fuselage, and at the rear of each boom are ventral fins with plain vertical flaps
- Landing gear: Wheeled tricycle stationary landing gear. One wheel in the front of the fuselage and two underneath each ventral tail fin.
- Safety features: Distributed electric propulsion, if one or two propellers stop functioning the aircraft can still land safely. If VTOL propellers quit functioning, the aircraft can land on a runway.
Company Insights:
Resources:
- Terrafugia website
- Terrafugia Facebook
- Terrafugia Twitter
- Terrafugia YouTube
- Terrafugia Instagram
- Terrafugia LinkedIn
- Zhejiang Geely Holding Group website
- Video: TF-2 : A 3 part transportation system, Terrafugia, Oct. 19, 2018
- Article: Terrafugia Unveils New TF-2, Electric VTOL News, Jan. 2, 2019
- Article: A new generation of flying cars is taking to the air — without the cars, Providence Journal, Mar. 1, 2019
- Article: Geely Taili Speeding TF-2A scale-down verification aircraft makes its first flight, We Chat, Jan. 2020
- 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
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