After the bankruptcies of two electric aircraft start-ups, a third young German company wants to bring a flying vertical take-off aircraft to series production by 2031.
Feb 10, 2026, 10:42 amFeb 10, 2026, 10:42 am
The aircraft, equipped with a hybrid engine, is being developed by ERC System, a company founded in 2020 from Ottobrunn, just outside Munich. It could be used as a flying ambulance; the cooperation partner is the DRF air rescue service. This was reported by the management of the company, which has 60 employees, and the DRF at the presentation of a prototype in Erding.
In English aviation jargon, electric vertical take-off aircraft are called eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft). In the past two years, the two eVTOL developers Lilium and Volocopter filed for bankruptcy because there was a lack of willing investors. Lilium ceased operations and Volocopter was eventually taken over by a Chinese company.
Electric propulsion possible for smaller aircraft
The heads of ERC System assume that electric aircraft have a future: “We can fly electrified at completely different operating costs than a conventional aircraft,” said Max Oligschläger, co-founder and commercial director of the company.
“This is a significant market, especially for aircraft designed to transport five or six people.” According to aviation engineers, the electric drive is not suitable for larger aircraft at the current stage of development.
Expectation: More patients will have to be transferred for operations in the future
Air rescue is primarily intended to be used for transporting patients from hospital to hospital, not for rescue flights. “We assume that we will see significantly more patient transports,” said Christian Müller-Ramcke, Head of Corporate Development at DRF.
This is due, among other things, to the financial problems of many hospitals, the associated closures and the German government’s reform plans. Experts assume that in the future fewer operations will be performed in smaller hospitals without special surgical expertise.
Long-term oriented investors provide security
Apart from that, ERC System has a long-term oriented investor in the form of the aviation service provider IABG, which is also based in Bavaria. “We need a strategic investor who not only provides us with capital, but can also support us with experience and staying power,” said Oligschläger.
«And that is the case at IABG. We will add additional investors in the medium to long term.”
Up to 800 kilometers of range planned
The prototype presented in Erding called “Romeo” is a remote-controlled drone; the finished aircraft will be flown by pilots. “We deliberately designed Romeo as a fully electric hovering demonstrator because hovering is the most critical flight condition, while forward flight is not a major challenge,” said ERC boss David Löbl.
The finished aircraft will one day have a range of up to 800 kilometers, hence the hybrid drive. “The piston engine will extend the range of our aircraft in the future,” said Löbl. (sda/awp/dpa)