Alaka’i launches the SKAI hydrogen powered eVTOL

Alaka’i launches the SKAI hydrogen powered eVTOL

Alaka’i Technologies has 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 take-off 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 Defence, and 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 building 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

Alaka’i Technologies is an emerging air mobility design and manufacturing company, headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusets, USA. Founded by Brian Morrison in 2015.

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.

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.