Hybrid-Electric Variant Prototype Of All-Electric VX4

Vertical Aerospace announced the development of a hybrid-electric VTOL variant of its VX4 aircraft that will significantly expand its range and payload capabilities to open new market opportunities within the burgeoning urban air mobility market.

The hybrid-electric strategy extends its all-electric VX4, enabling novel possible applications in defense, logistics, and commercial segments including air ambulance services that require higher payload capacities and longer ranges than current eVTOLs are capable of providing.

Vertical’s second-generation hybrid propulsion system has been in development for the past eighteen months, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s full-scale VX4 prototypes and is anticipated to begin flight testing in the second quarter of 2026.

The vehicle’s target capabilities of the new variant are:

Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft.

Payload: Configurable to carry up to 1,100 kilograms in the VX4’s class-leading airframe capacity.

Stealth advantages: Low noise and heat signatures make the hybrid variant well-suited for sensitive missions.

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 industry-leading redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations.

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace said, “The demand for long-range, high-payload, quiet aircraft is growing rapidly - especially across defense and critical logistics. Our hybrid-electric VTOL strategy builds on our existing electric platform, world-class battery technology and large, versatile airframe, allowing us to offer uniquely scalable solutions that unlock a new frontier in air mobility and revenue stream for Vertical.”

Vertical Aerospace has an orderbook of 1,500 aircraft, primarily its VX4, with a potential market value of about $6 billion.

FMI:  vertical-aerospace.com/