Martine Rothblatt Follows Through on Her Electric Helicopter Prediction

TMC Staff News

Elon Musk has always said that the goal for Tesla is to “accelerate the advent of sustainable transport.” As the company continues to build on that mission with its increasingly efficient electric vehicles and Tesla Energy products, we are beginning to see glimpses of how that goal has inspired others.

A great example of that inspiration in action is Martine Rothblatt’s efforts to build an electric helicopter. Rothblatt is a highly-accomplished entrepreneur, having co-founded Sirius XM before launching United Therapeutics. She also owns several Teslas and was a featured speaker at TMC Connect 2016.

Rothblatt created the helicopter in partnership with her engineering company Tier 1 Engineering. The team began with an inexpensive helicopter and added batteries from electric motorcycle company Brammo and an electric motor. Rothblatt has said this version is a proof of concept, which will be improved with a battery system and motor designed specifically for a helicopter.
Another Rothblatt company, Lung Biotechnology, funded the project for less than $1 million. The aim for the project is to create electric helicopters to transport organs to hospital much more cleanly and quietly.

(L-R) Captain Ric Webb | Captain Martine Rothblatt