Today, Alaka’i Technologies unveiled Skai, the world’s first hydrogen
fuel cell powered air mobility solution designed to transform the way
the world moves. From its sleek, uncluttered design, radically simple
and safe electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, to its
fuel source – a system that runs entirely on hydrogen fuel cells – Skai
is poised to be one of the safest, cleanest and most versatile air
mobility solutions introduced to the world.
Skai’s core team members are nationally-recognized aerospace experts,
engineers, and veteran pilots who have served in top-level positions at
NASA, Raytheon, Beech, Cirrus, DayJet, and the Department of Defense who
collaborated on the vision of solving some of the world’s most-pressing
global challenges across transportation, energy and the
environment. Skai is co-designed by Designworks, the design innovation
studio for the BMW Group, to leverage its creative expertise to help
shape a world-class vehicle. The result is Skai, stripped away of all
unnecessary complexity, waste and possible points of failure, leaving
the most essential elements for the craft and optimizing them for the
most intuitive experience.
“This remarkably impressive team have come together to build on our
collective experience to finally realize our singular, critical vision
to launch Skai and transform transportation,” said Brian Morrison,
Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of Alaka’i
Technologies. “Skai offers practical, real-life solutions to everything
from relieving traffic congestion to delivering supplies during natural
disasters. Skai is set to offer affordable, realistic applications in
the commercial, private, freight, and personal air mobility markets.”
The heart of Skai, and one of its most revolutionary features, is the
use of hydrogen fuel cells, a clean environmental solution from end to
end. With the advantage of being 95% reusable and the remaining (99%)
recyclable, Skai’s hydrogen fuel cells offer reliable, safe and
environmentally clean emission comprised solely of heat and water. This
is a stark alternative to traditional fuel and battery sources. Hydrogen
fuel cells allow Skai to travel further distances and carry a greater
payload.
“Air mobility is a very exciting and fascinating topic,” said Holger
Hampf, President of Designworks. “Our focus for this project was to help
build a new consumer facing brand from scratch – considering and
designing all touchpoints – digital, physical and service. And as a
result, delivering an all-encompassing user-centric experience which is
purposeful and highly desirable in all aspects.”
Alaka’i Technologies has initiated their test program with the FAA.
Pending certification, Skai will create new possibilities in personal
mobility for everyone, efficient emergency responses, economical freight
distribution, and the utilization of hydrogen fuel cells as a highly
reliable, zero-emission power source.
Skai Highlights Include:
- Co-designed by Designworks with inherent quality craftsmanship
- Powered by clean hydrogen fuel cells, with zero emissions
- Range: Up to 4 Hours, ~400 Miles
-
Six reliable, quiet, efficient electric motors with designed-in
redundancy - Seats up to five passengers
- Reliable, fault-tolerant architecture for safety and security
- Piloted version launched first, with autonomous versions to follow
- Designed for the ultimate in safety, with an Airframe Parachute
For more information: http://skai.co.
ABOUT ALAKA’I
Alaka’i Technologies is an emerging air mobility design and
manufacturing company, headquartered in Hopkinton MA. Founded by Brian
Morrison in 2015, Alaka’i Technologies assembled a distinguished
executive team with decades of aerospace development, production,
executive and airspace integration experience (NASA, Raytheon, Beech
Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas, Hughes, DayJet, SATSAir, Cirrus, Metro
Aviation, Delta Airlines) and FAA certification experience. Working
together since the 1990’s on industry-defining projects such as the NASA
AGATE and SATS Programs, they also built and flew the world’s first-ever
Fly-By-Light aircraft. Today, the Alaka’i team is engineering
proprietary, progressive air mobility solutions to offer point
A-to-Anywhere transportation that are clean, simple, safe, and
accessible for everyone. Ultimately, transforming transportation through
hydrogen-powered mobility.
ABOUT DESIGNWORKS
Designworks is the design innovation studio for the BMW Group.
Designworks is ‘the architect of future’ — designing holistic systems
that impact and improve the world we live in. Designworks inspires and
challenges the companies it works with to be and stay at the forefront
of their industries in design, technology and innovation. For 25 years
it has been stimulating the BMW Group as well as a select group of
companies with ambitious visions for the future.
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