UK-based global major industrial technology group Rolls-Royce is to cooperate with UK urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft company Vertical Aerospace to power the latter’s new electrically-powered piloted vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) machine. This UAM vehicle is designated the VA-X4 and will be able to carry four passengers, as well as a pilot, for up to 120 miles (193 km) at speeds exceeding 200 mph (322 km/h).

Rolls-Royce Electrical will be responsible for the design and manufacture of the VA-X4’s complete electrical propulsion system. This will include the group’s latest 100 kW-class propulsion units (for both lift and horizontal flight) as well as the power distribution and monitoring systems. 

“We are delighted to collaborate with Vertical Aerospace for the electrical technology that will power their pioneering eVTOL aircraft,” enthused Rolls-Royce Electrical director Rob Watson. “This exciting opportunity demonstrates our ambitions to be a leading supplier of sustainable complete power systems for the new Urban Air Mobility market which has the potential to transform the way that people and freight move from city to city.”

The programme will involve some 150 Rolls-Royce engineers, based in Germany, Hungary, the UK and the US. They will be working with Vertical Aerospace’s team, based in the English city of Bristol. Electrifying flight is a key part of Rolls-Royce’s sustainability strategy, and Rolls-Royce Electrical is devoted to developing technologies that are efficient, quieter and sustainable, for industrial, land, and marine as well as aviation applications.

Vertical Aerospace has already built and test flown two technology demonstrator eVTOL aircraft. The first, the VA-X1, made a tethered flight in 2017 and its first free flight in 2018. The larger VA-X2 made its first free flight in 2019. The further enlarged VA-X4 was unveiled last year and the first example should be completed and make its maiden flight this year. Type certification is expected, by both the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in 2024, followed by the start of commercial services in that same year.

“We are excited to collaborate with Rolls-Royce, bringing onboard a hugely experienced team with deep expertise and cutting-edge electrical technologies to power our pioneering eVTOL aircraft,” highlighted Vertical Aerospace CEO Michael Cervenka. “This collaboration builds on our existing partnerships and Vertical is well-positioned to develop the world’s leading eVTOL aircraft, certified to the highest CAA and EASA safety standards being set globally.”