VoltAero

Safe, efficient and eco-friendly: these are the keywords for VoltAero’s Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft family for advanced regional air mobility. Cassio will be built in three versions that seat from five to 12 persons, and is tailored for efficient and reliable regional commercial operations with air taxi/charter companies, private and business owners/operators, as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation. VoltAero’s first production aircraft will be the Cassio 330, with a five-seat configuration and operating on a combined electric-hybrid propulsion power of 330 kilowatts. It is to be followed by the six-seat Cassio 480 with a combined electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, and the Cassio 600 – sized at a 10/12-seat capacity with electric-hybrid propulsion power of 600 kilowatts. The VoltAero dual-mode propulsion concept is unique: Cassio will utilize the Safran ENGINeUS electric motor for all-electric power during taxi, takeoff, primary flight (if the distance traveled is less than 150 km.), and landing. The hybrid feature – with an internal combustion engine from Kawasaki Motors – comes into play as a range extender, recharging the batteries while in flight. Additionally, this hybrid element serves as a backup for the electric propulsion, ensuring true fail-safe functionality. By integrating VoltAero’s patented electric-hybrid propulsion system into the company’s purpose-designed airframe, Cassio aircraft will deliver an order of magnitude higher performance when compared to the current competition and provide significantly lower operational costs. Cassio aircraft will be built at a 2,400-square-meter facility at Rochefort Airport in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region. This facility is sized for the assembly of 150 Cassio airplanes annually at full rate, and will be backed by additional production sites to be created in other key geographical markets.