The Story
Helix's ultralight electric motor and RED Aviation's quad-turbo diesel V-12 create a compact hybrid generator that could dramatically extend eVTOL range while cutting fuel burn and emissions. Here’s what’s happening:
The tech behind record-setting hypercars could make electric aircraft fly farther and land more safely.
In other words, don’t look now, but the same electric motor technology powering hypercars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Czinger 21C, and McMurtry Spéirling has now been paired with a quad-turbo aviation V-12 diesel to create one of the lightest, most power-dense aircraft generator sets yet announced. A few months back, we reported on…
That is — why should car enthusiasts care about electrified aircraft and eVTOLs? Same reason automakers do: Toyota has a joint venture with Joby Aviation, Hyundai subsidiary Supernal is well along on its S-A2 model, Stellantis is a major shareholder in Archer Aviation, Honda’s said to be working on one, and several Chinese automakers are…
To put it simply, most eVTOLs expend a disproportionate share of their energy climbing vertically, hovering, and transitioning to forward flight. Once established in cruise, power demand drops considerably. That’s one reason today’s battery-electric eVTOLs have relatively modest range, and why a lightweight range-extending generator set…
Breaking this down, relative to the SPX242-94 unit that powers those above-mentioned hypercars and that was used by Astro Mechanica in its proof-of-concept supersonic engine firing tests, this one is smaller in diameter and longer along the axis but is clearly a next-generation member of the same Scalable Core Technology family, sharing…
Why It Matters
This story resonates because it marks a notable moment for the industry. Industry watchers often read such moves as signals — for the general landscape this could suggest a shift toward younger, digitised audiences.
CarMotion Daily’s Take
Our read: A 48-Pound Electric Motor and a Diesel V-12 Could Transform Electric Flight -… is more than a headline — it indicates a deliberate move from the parties involved’s playbook. Watch the next 60 days for follow-through.
This story was first reported by MotorTrend. For the full article with original photography and complete coverage, visit the source: Read the full story at MotorTrend →