Business View Magazine - Mar 2024

Foss portrays.“It will be an expectation that people will be able to use that type of transportation to travel in and around Arlington, as well as within the larger Dallas Fort Worth region by the timeframe of the World Cup games in the summer of 2026.” LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 AND BEYOND In 2024, Arlington will be implementing a groundbreaking project funded by the Department of Energy, demonstrating the use of electric drones and autonomous delivery vehicles for food distribution to vulnerable populations. Foss elaborates, “We’re partnering with a local food bank, as well as several technology companies to test out what that looks like, both from a customer acceptance perspective, as well as from an energy efficiency perspective. We will use electric devices to replace the traditional delivery truck, to see what the environmental and energy benefits are.” She says the citywill also continue to explore regional connectivity solutions, laying the groundwork for aircraft solutions, including electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) for regional trips.“These are a new type of aircraft and they’re kind of a hybrid between a plane and a helicopter,” Foss describes. “They have the ability to take off vertically and land vertically, much like a helicopter does, but then their propellers actually rotate when they are up at flying altitude, and then they can fly like a jet plane. They are fully electric. So, they are much quieter than a helicopter.” She shares that the city’s partnership with Overair aims to explore this technology, envisioning a dedicated vertiport at the municipal airport, which is similar to a helipad, but would have charging and maintenance support for eVTOL aircraft. With plans aligning with hosting the FIFA World Cup, Arlington anticipates certified eVTOL aircraft for enhanced regional transportation during the event. “We’re very excited about that opportunity,” www.maymobility.com Transformingmobility with the world’s best autonomous vehicle technology. 140 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 03