Vertical Aerospace announced it is developing a hybrid-electric vertical-take-off-and landing (VTOL) variant of its VX4 aircraft, expanding range and payload capabilities to unlock new market opportunities within the already sizable $1TR1 total addressable urban air mobility market. Vertical's hybrid-electric strategy builds on its all-electric VX4 and Flightpath 2030 strategy, enabling new potential applications in defence, logistics and commercial sectors including air ambulance services, which require longer range and higher payload than current eVTOL platforms can deliver. Vertical's second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company's VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in second quarter 2026.
Key targeted capabilities of Vertical's hybrid-electric variant: Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft. Crewed and uncrewed capabilities: Hybrid-electric technology capable of being deployed autonomously, remotely, or with a pilot. Uncrewed capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System being developed by Honeywell.
Mission resilience: Built off the VX4's redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations. Best-in-class hybrid-electric potential enabled by proprietary battery technology and airframe: Vertical's proprietary battery platform, developed at its purpose-built Vertical Energy Centre, is a critical component of its hybrid-electric capability. Vertical's battery will help power the superior hybrid range and payload capabilities, enabling best-in-class performance for mission-critical use cases.
Vertical's hybrid team has developed advanced control systems supporting safe operation and redundancy, meeting strict European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) safety standards for eVTOL flight. Bench testing has already validated its hybrid-electric architecture, including the successful integration of control algorithms between the power unit and battery. Vertical's VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions.
Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN, Honeywell and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world's most advanced and safest eVTOL. Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of the VX4, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow. Headquartered in Bristol, the epicentre of the UK's aerospace industry, Vertical's experienced leadership team comes from top tier automotive and aerospace companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM and Leonardo.
Together they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.
