The AltoVolo Sigma is a hybrid-electric eVTOL craft that combines silent vertical takeoff, a 510-mile range, and the capabilities of a private jet without the need for a runway.
If I had Elon Musk If you were a younger, more British cousin who dreams of flying over London traffic jams instead of rockets, it would probably be someone from the AltoVolo team. Their latest technological child, the Sigma, is not just a flying car – it's a futuristic capsule James BondIf Bond were a vegan, he would drive Tesla and was late for a meeting in Zurich.
AltoVolo Sigma is a technological breakthrough in a compact form
The AltoVolo Sigma isn't afraid of heights – or competition. It's a three-seat eVTOL with a hybrid heart: batteries for vertical takeoff and liquid fuel for long range. Smart, as they say on Kickstarter: "Take off on eco, fly on turbo."
The result? 510 miles of range (yes, you can go from Ljubljana to Frankfurt and back – with a coffee stop in between), a cruising speed of 354 km/h, a top speed of 467 km/h. It weighs 980 kg, which is about as much as three average businessmen and one espresso machine.
But the real magic is the silence: 65-70 decibels at takeoff. This means that while you're flying from your terrace towards your weekend on Cres, your neighbor will think you just turned on the dryer.
Safety, design and a little nostalgia
The AltoVolo Sigma has a ballistic parachute that deploys at 15 meters. It also has a redundant control system, meaning it won't crash if one engine says "not today."
The design? Pure poetry in carbon fiber. If Apple had designed it, Tim Cook would have asked for a license. If Pixar had designed it, Sigma would have its own trilogy.
Conclusion: A vision of the future of personal transportation
While Hollywood has been teasing us with flying cars for decades, reality usually catches up with them with a 20-year delay and far less spectacle. But the AltoVolo Sigma may be a game-changer. When it's ready for mass production (read: when you can get a loan that doesn't require selling a kidney), the sky will be the new highway.
AltoVolo Sigma technical specifications:
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Drive: Hybrid-electric with tilt-jet engines
- Reach: 510 miles (820 km) in hybrid mode; 260 miles (418 km) on electric power alone
- Speed: Cruise speed 220 mph (354 km/h); maximum speed 290 mph (467 km/h)
- Dimensions: Length 4.05 m; width 4.8 m; height 1.58 m
- Weight: 980 kg (with passengers)
- Security: Triple control redundancy; ballistic parachute; ability to fly with one engine failure
- Noise level: 65–70 dB at takeoff
For more information, stay tuned. AltoVolo on Instagram or follow the pre-order series starting in July - if you succeed, you might be one of the first in Slovenia to fly over the rooftops, not through AC, for a coffee in Portorož.
