Hydrogen powered flying car

Two U.S. companies, Urban Aeronautics and Hatzolah Air, have partnered. The interesting thing is that while the former company is engaged in the production of aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, the latter is an air rescue team.

Although there are a number of companies in the United States that manufacture vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL after the abbreviation of the English name), there are few among them that highlight rescue issues, rather than aviation or urban transport reform is the goal.

Also, hydrogen cell propulsion is not the most popular among such companies, as weight is a very important factor in aviation, especially in the VTOL area, while hydrogen is the densest fuel, but its storage can only be solved in heavy equipment. The Forbes article also draws attention to the fact that, according to the current state of science, it is very expensive to generate electricity from hydrogen, especially as much as is needed to take off and land such aircraft.

The rules for saving are different

While VTOL vehicles do not yet seem to be a realistic alternative to driving, they can already play a greater role in rescue. No one in this area is bothered if the vehicle is loud, and it would be a great benefit for everyone if ambulances could fly, as a lot of time can be saved, which is the most important factor in this area. Especially in urban, metropolitan use, such a plane can be a good alternative for ambulances to cover short distances.

A problem, however, is that most VTOL aircraft have a small cabin that can carry two people, which is not enough for an ambulance. Short range may also be a problem, although this may be a minor concern in urban use. Refueling and landing can be solved on top of hospitals, but approaching the injured can already be a bigger challenge.

Forbes highlights at the end of the article that this is a long-term concept for the time being, but it is certainly positive that renewable-powered aircraft can replace ambulances. Even if it is the distant future.