Air taxis make up most of the hype surrounding eVTOLs — electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles — despite their long path to market, steep upfront costs and plethora of regulatory hurdles. Ryse Aero Technologies, an Ohio-based startup building aircraft that are akin to flying ATVs, thinks eVTOL tech could be put to better use in a nearer-term market.
The company, founded in April 2021, recently opened reservations for its Recon ultralight aircraft — a one-seater eVTOL with land and water takeoff and landing capabilities and a maximum altitude of 400 feet. It’s powered by six independent motors, each with removable and rechargeable batteries.
“The idea was to make something extre...
