Eve has announced it will conduct its first North American urban air mobility (UAM) simulation in Chicago using helicopters powered by Blade Air Mobility.
Throughout the simulation, conventional helicopters will be used as a stand-in for eVTOL aircraft. This will allow Eve to study operations, ground services and the passenger experience as well as eVTOL operator needs while providing more accessible and efficient connections to Downtown Chicago.
Eve will conduct the simulation over three weeks, starting with ground tests on 12 September and passenger flights on 14 September.
It is anticipated that the simulation will provide the city of Chicago with knowledge about services, infrastructure, and equipment requirements needed for the launch and long-term growth of UAM in the region.
André Stein, Co-CEO of Eve said:Simulating the eVTOL operation in Chicago allows us to study how people will experience this service and understand the entire ecosystem requirements for our product and services, while showcasing the benefit of Urban Air Mobility in one of North America's most prominent and populated cities. We are wrapping up preparations to execute these simulations seamlessly and look forward to helping prepare Chicago for a local zero-emission UAM solution that is quiet, efficient, and sustainable.
Eve will carry out the tests at Vertiport Chicago, an existing downtown heliport facility. During the simulation, a helicopter replicating Eve’s future eVTOL will transport passengers from the Vertiport Chicago facility to two helistops northwest and southwest of Chicago.
The first route will connect Vertiport Chicago to Schaumburg Municipal Helistop, while the second route will connect Vertiport Chicago to Tinley Park Helistop in Illinois.
Luiz Mauad, Vice President of Services and Fleet Operations at Eve said:For Eve, it is essential to understand and address through these projects involving partners and the community the key challenges associated with the main pillars of the UAM ecosystem. Our proposal brings together all stakeholders and counts on different views and feedback to structure and deliver the best solutions.
For this project, Eve has formed a consortium of partners, including Blade, Republic Airways, Halo Aviation, Vertiport Chicago, Village of Tinley Park, Village of Schaumburg, ACCIONA, SkyWest and Speedbird Aero.
