Terrafugia: A Year in Review

This month marks one year since Terrafugia was acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and what an exciting year it has been for us! From collaborating with our sister companies, to establishing a global presence and internal growth, Terrafugia has many accomplishments to reflect on during its one-year anniversary.

For starters, we’ve been growing at an exponential rate and expanding our facilities around the world. Since November 1, 2017, we’ve grown from 54 to 250+ employees internationally. We continue to expand our Woburn, MA facility headquarters with more office space and a test cell right next door. We opened a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Petaluma, CA; a Manufacturing Center in Hangzhou, China and a Hangar for Flight Testing in Nashua, NH. Aside from expansion, the company has had many memorable milestones this year including:

• D2 was officially retired with over 200 logged flight test hours. This flying car prototype performed 317 successful takeoffs and landings and was tested to reach highway speeds in drive mode. With research from all the testing, we were able to make changes to D2 to enhance the user experience.

• Terrafugia announced the latest upgrades to the Transition vehicle including partnerships with Dynon for the Electrical Flight Information Systems (EFIS) and BRS for a full frame parachute system. Additional safety features include improved seatbelts, airbags and three rearview cameras for drive mode. There is an increase in luggage capacity and remodeled seats. The Transition’s throttle allows for a boost feature that supplies an extra burst of power while flying for an elevated experience.

• The company announced that its accepting deposits with a signed LOI (letter of intent) to secure a place in line for a Transition. The first vehicle is slated to go into production in 2019.

• We unveiled our eVTOL concept, TF-2, which is a three-part transportation system that is designed to revolutionize daily travel by air and ground for passengers and cargo. The system relies on a cabin that transfers between a road and air vehicle to making traveling from point A to point B seamless. The TF-2 will enter the market as a piloted hybrid electric aircraft, but it will adopt all-electric and autonomous systems as the technology matures.

• We launched Terrafugia 2.0 which includes an updated corporate strategy and visual assets. The rebrand was a perfect way to launch the next chapter of Terrafugia’s development as a global leader in transportation technologies as we strive to deliver the first flying car and enter the eVTOL market.

• We engaged with the industry at large by attending, speaking and exhibiting at many shows that were new to Terrafugia including, HAI Heli-Expo 2018, VFS Forum 74, Global Mobility Summit in China, and to NBAA-BACE.

Geely group has provided Terrafugia with the bankability and resources to grow at an extremely fast rate. As we reflect on our one-year anniversary, we are driven to hit more milestones next year as we continue to evolve into a global mobility leader.

Originally posted: https://terrafugia.com/2018/11/27/terrafugia-a-year-in-review/