Latest On Zuri's hybrid VTOL Endeavours The last article JF published on news relating to the Zuri Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) endeavours was in 2022. It is towards the end of 2025 and after 3 years it is time to revisit this start-up and note any progress with the program. Zuri is one of the lesser-known names in the AAM space currently trying to develop a craft to bring to market. While many companies have went the way of electric Vertical Take Off and Landing craft (eVTOL) which are fully electric craft and rely on ducted or open fan-blade architecture that can articulate and allow vertical take offs or landings and transitionary phases to move it from a hover or vertical status through to forward flight and the reverse for landing, limitations in current battery tech has reduced capability and apprehensiveness from a regulatory standpoint. Other start-ups and manufacturers have gone the route of hybrid VTOLs which are not purely electric. The Zuri is one of these hybrid craft.
One of the advantages to hybrid is the range of the craft is significantly increased over that of a pure eVTOL. The endurance of eVTOLs is one of the current drawbacks and this is why they are suited for urban hopping with routes of 30 to 60 miles. The Zuri 2.0 -as it was called earlier in its development- is touted to be able to fly at above 186 mph and have a range of 435 miles with 30 minute reserve. Aircraft that purely rely on battery power cannot achieve this kind of endurance with the current lithium battery technology.
As it relates to the current development of the craft with Zuri, the latest news is that they have joined with an investor to provide financial and developmental backing. That investor is called the Ambitious Air Mobility Group (AAMG). On the 11th of November, they signed a binding investment agreement to advance the development, certification and market launch of Zuri's hybrid electric VTOL aviation platform – including unmanned and optionally manned variants for cargo and defense applications.
AAMG is participating as a long-term industrial partner and supporting Zuri in the further development and scaling of its hybrid-electric aircraft program. “This partnership is a clear step towards realizing transformative regional air mobility with hybrid-electric aviation technology. Zuri’s manned and unmanned platforms offer best-in-class performance for both cargo and passenger VTOL operations. Zuri has a compelling vision that perfectly complements the potential of our vertiport network and regional air mobility”, said Robert Kamp , CEO and Senior Partner of AAMG. Founded in 2017, Zuri is a Czech-based company who's mission is to enable efficient, sustainable, and accessible regional air mobility. For more information: ZURI Budějovická 1550 140 00 Praha 4-Michle Czechia www.zuri.com ***
