AeroVolt to build charging network for electric aircraft in the UK
According to AeroVolt, five charging locations for eVTOLs have been in operation in the UK since August 2023. The aim is to have 24 sites by 2025 and over 60 in the long term. The company’s first chargers have a rated output of 22 kW, but AeroVolt says that the installation of the first 44 kW chargers will begin this year. The company also promises 120 kW chargers in the near future.
AeroVolt names the eVOTL developer Skyfly, which has announced its two-seater Axe model for 2025, as a future user of the charging network. According to Skyfly, this can travel 100 miles (about 160 kilometres) purely electrically or 300 miles (480 kilometres) with an optional generator. Skyfly and AeroVolt say they plan to demonstrate the first eVTOL flight between two different UK aerodromes this year.
“We are delighted to partner with Aerovolt, who have developed by far the most advanced aircraft charging network in Europe, if not globally. It shows the UK’s appetite for low cost, low emission and low noise flying. We cannot wait to demonstrate this capability on a real flight route which will hopefully prove to the non-believers that electric aviation is the future of mobility,” said Michael Thompson, CEO of Skyfly.
“AeroVolt is delighted to be working with Skyfly. The Axe is a truly forward-thinking design in the emerging eVTOL market,” said AeroVolt COO Alan Kingsley-Dobson. The availability and usability of a charging infrastructure is key for customers and future development.
The charging stations are already accessible today via Aerovolt’s “Squadron” subscription. Members are therefore entitled to rent the Pipistrel Velis Electro e-aircraft from AeroVolt and charge it via the company. “Soon”, the charging network will also be accessible via “Octopus Electroverse”, a charging app from energy supplier Octopus Energy, which has established itself on the British electric car market.
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