Begins Crowdfunding Escape Pod for Bond Villains, Skyscraper Occupants
ZEVA Aero has announced the start of its investment campaign for its unusual eVTOL concept, which, in a field composed entirely of varied combinations of sleekly tapered curves, bulbous cabins, and outboard rotors, still manages to stand apart from the crowd. Zeva’s work instead appears reminiscent of a large, carbon fiber sunfish flanked by a series of propellers. A "personal flying machine that transitions from hover mode to forward flight mode", the Zeva is, if nothing else, a refreshing change of pace.
Breaking from the convention of multiple, or even single seats and traditional ergonomics, the Zeva instead relies on the pilot lying face-down over the flattened wing-body while in flight. That unorthodoxy isn’t without purpose, however, as unlike many of its air mobility competitors, the Zeva eschews the use of any helipads or landing zones atop the city's skyline, instead opting for a vertically-oriented docking system placed along the sides of a building. The unorthodox design is geared towards the aircraft's utility as a single-person commuter craft, passing over the vast metropolitan landscape to directly disembark in a mile-high umbilical right into the workplace.
The SkyDock system is advertised as freeing occupants from "elevators, ground transport, parking lots, and waiting" through a direct airlock connection to the destination. Instead of skillful manual connection, Skydock relies entirely on computer controlled alignment/capture and integrated charging to connect the Zeva. The system is billed as a commuter timesaver, a first responder vehicle, and even an emergency escape capsule of sorts. "Safety egress vehicle" is an interesting niche to mention in the AAM market, but one that fits quite nicely for a single-occupant skyscraper escape pod. The ability to make an immediate, airborne, Bond-villainesque exit is an interesting one that would see limited market adoption for the Zeva that no other platforms can offer.
The aircraft itself brings the usual zero emission, low footprint aspects inherent to electronic VTOL aircraft. Lifting capacity in current trim is limited to a 220 pound occupant, with 50 miles of range and a 160mph cruise speed. Like others heading to the crowdfunding platform to fund their early Phase 1 and 2 aircraft projects, Zeva has gone to the StartEngine platform to offer stock in the company. Offering equity, with common shares on tap for $4 each, with a $200 minimum, Zeva believes their company to be worth $56.1 million. Bonuses abound for different levels of investment, starting at 5% bonus shares when $5,000 in stock is purchased, ranging up to 20% if the buy-in exceeds $20,000.
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