18 Easy Grass Alternatives For Your Lawn

Photo: istockphoto.Com

Americans love our lawns, and we would like to save some time maintaining those green spaces while also maintaining curb appeal. Grass lawns have a useful purpose in the landscape as play spaces and for their cooling effects. But a large lawn can take some time, water, and mowing to maintain. Plenty of folks are considering replacing some or all of their turf with lawn alternatives for a more sustainable landscape, especially in drought-prone areas.

If you've got the itch to ditch your grass, we've got plenty of grass replacement options other than artificial grass. Some of the most luxurious, green, and well-designed yards you've ever seen don't have a single blade of grass, and are super easy to maintain.

Why You Should Consider Sustainable Lawn Alternatives

Depending on where you live, 30 percent to 50 percent of your household water use goes to turf and other landscaping. With drought patterns changing and water shortages a reality, even in American cities, we all could adopt some of the Southwest's xeriscaping principles to do our part for the environment and our monthly water bills.

Just beware of a big misconception about xeriscaping: It means making landscapes more waterwise and appropriate for the local environment. It doesn't mean pulling out all the grass and replacing it with gravel. But lawns that include too much grass, the wrong type of grass, or grass in a bad spot require more water and maintenance than is sustainable. When you think about lowering water usage and lawn care, start with these steps before perusing the easy-care lawn alternatives that follow.

Thinking about replacing your grass lawn? Here are small steps you can take to get started:

Removing turf areas on slopes, where water runs off.

Taking out narrow strips of grass, especially in "nuisance strips" near the sidewalk.

Evaluating whether your turf is made of high-water-use grass mixes.

Removing grass in corners of the lawn, or awkwardly shaped areas that are difficult to water and mow.

Getting rid of grass along fences.

Keeping appropriate use of grass lawns, like the areas where the kids play, helps cool patios and the house.

Reducing the amount of grass on your property, especially where it doesn't grow as well (like under trees).

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+ Sustainable Alternatives to Grass Lawns

The best alternatives to grass lawns vary depending on how much lawn you want to replace, the climate in which you live, shade or other conditions in the yard, and personal preference. Get inspiration for your space from The these design ideas and plant selections—there's sure to be ideas here that work for your situation.

1. Native Turf Grasses

Photo: americanmeadows.Com

One of the reasons many lawns use so much water is that the planted grass is not the best fit for the region where it grows. When replacing a water-thirsty lawn, consider alternative native grasses. Drought-tolerant options include buffalo grass, Bermuda grass, bahiagrass, and blue grama. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, developed a native turfgrass mixture for the dry regions of the Southwest called Habiturf, and found it looks and feels much like hybrid turf grasses.

Even though native grasses use less water, most do require some irrigation, mowing, and maintenance. Still, a grass adapted for your region and climate is the least amount of work and the most sustainable for any remaining turf areas of the landscape.

RELATED: 6 Pro Tips for Successful Container Gardening

2. Veronica

Photo: provenwinnersdirect.Com

Veronica, or Speedwell, is a diverse, sturdy, and evergreen Ground cover option for homeowners seeking grass replacement. Once the low-grower (1 to 2 inches high) spreads, it forms a dense cover of small, succulent-like leaves and late spring to early summer flowers. Veronica Snowmass (Blue-eyed Speedwell) loads up with tiny white-petaled flowers with blue eyes. Veronica Waterperry Blue grows a little larger (about 5 inches high) in zones 4 through 8 and its leaves have copper undertones, while the flowers have lavender petals and white eyes. Turkish speedwell has purplish-blue flowers and grows to nearly 2 inches tall.

Most types of Veronica can grow in full sun in zones 3 through 10 and are deer-resistant plants. They fill in well between flagstones or gaps, and need little to no maintenance once they're established.

3. Gravel

For a simple solution to neglected areas of the yard—like those strips of grass along the side of the house ,and shady areas—replace your grass with gravel. Gravel mulch is effective around plants that love heat and can tolerate low water. With some creativity, you can add color or patterns with crushed fine or pea gravel, creating a useful path at the same time.

Beware of using gravel in highly sunny spots, however, like near the west side of a house, because it can actually can increase temperatures around house walls. You might save on water but pay more to cool the home, or unwittingly make your favorite porch or patio unbearably hot in summer.

RELATED: 12 Backyard Updates You Can Do in a Day

4. Raised Edible Gardens

Photo: Zillow Digs home in Paoli, PA

Converting an awkward area of the lawn into a vegetable and herb garden with raised planters provides a variety of benefits: You will likely save water on growing vegetables by filling the raised beds with soil that's more suited to the plants than local soils offer. Instead of wasting water spraying the sidewalk next to a strangely shaped portion of grass, use soaker hoses or a simple drip irrigation system to water your vegetables and fill your plates.

Growing your own food can end up saving you money (and trips to the store), and you can't get fresher, more locally grown veggies. Be sure to check local regulations regarding edible gardens, however, before ripping out the lawn and replacing it with raised beds, particularly if you're situating the beds in your front yard.

RELATED: Landscape Edging: 10 Easy Ways to Set Your Garden Beds Apart

5. Bugleweed

When it comes to grass replacement for shady areas of the landscape, it's hard to beat bugleweed (Ajuga reptans). Its alternative name of Carpet Bugle gives a clue to how well this flowering ground cover spreads by runners. Amazingly, bugleweed can grow in spots with full sun, but it actually performs better in shade. Plant this evergreen to semi-evergreen creeping plant if you need a grass alternative that can handle changing sunlight conditions.

Its showy leaves (for example, gray-green in Silver Beauty, variegated with Toffee Chip, and deep red in Mahogany) look most attractive spilling over boulders in rock gardens. Keep its slightly acidic soil just moist and enjoy the colorful foliage and tiny bluish-purple flower stalks in mid to late spring.

6. Mulch

Organic mulches like cedar or pine bark chips can replace grass quite easily for a rustic ground cover. Plus, organic mulch eventually breaks down to improve soil health below. A 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch cuts down on weeds and reduces the amount of water needed by trees or other plants it surrounds. Before you lay the mulch down, place permeable landscaping cloth on the bare soil to prevent weeds from growing to the surface. Dog owners should avoid Cocoa mulch, because it can be lethal to pooches.

RELATED: How to Make Your Own Mulch

7. Culinary Herbs

Home chefs, why not replace your grass with some ground covers that double as kitchen staples and pollinator magnets? Many of the plants in this list are herbs and can spread prolifically (sometimes too much, in the case of mint). Take time to research those that are edible and grow in your area for a lawn-turned-herb-garden. Greek oregano is cold-hardy to nearly zone 5A, spreads well, reaches at least 6 inches high, and tastes delicious on pizza. Sweet woodruff creates a dense mat of lightly scented leaves that become more aromatic when dried; it grows to about 6 to 12 inches high.

Another herb favorite for ground cover is Corsican mint, which grows almost at ground level and handles full sun to part shade in zones 6 through 9; its leaves create the flavor in crème de menthe. A German chamomile lawn will reach nearly 2 feet high and fill with daisy-like flowers. Even culinary thyme can spread to cover a bare spot and emit its unique fragrance. If left to flower, its tiny light purple blooms attract pollinators. Although culinary herbs might require some pruning or control, clipping stalks to use in dishes or mint juleps can make it all worthwhile.

RELATED: 15 Perennial Herbs to Grow in Your Yard

8. Hardscaping

Tired of mowing? Turn your backyard into a hardscaped jungle with a lovely new patio, walkway, or other hardscaping project. Stamped concrete, patio pavers, or natural stone can create a stunning and functional space. Surround the perimeter with lush ornamental grasses, colorful flowers, or low-water natives. Or brighten the space with a few well-placed containers brimming with greenery. You won't even miss that section of lawn.

RELATED: 10 Ways to Dress Up a Drab Concrete Patio

9. Creeping Thyme

For some home gardeners, a property that's full of rainbow of blooms is a crowning achievement, but for others, simplicity is perfection. If no-nonsense greenery is your idea of great design, replace the lawn with a low-growing perennial like creeping thyme or wooly thyme. Creeping varieties usually flower heavily with delicate white, purple, or pink flowers. Wooly thyme forms a dense mat of tiny gray-green leaves. Both fill in well between pavers or other strips. Like grass, these ground covers can stand up to foot traffic but with the added advantage of being mow-free.

RELATED: The Best Low-Maintenance Ground Covers for Your Garden

10. Rock Garden

To achieve a mix of colors and textures, create a rock garden with stones and flowers. Choose native flowers for the easiest care. The rugged simplicity of the rocks will contrast nicely with the vibrant blooms, creating a one-of-a-kind backyard feature. Plus, once the flowers fade off in the winter, you'll still enjoy the visual interest of the boulders scattered throughout your property.

RELATED: The Best Places to Buy Plants Online

11. Walk-on Plants

Like creeping thyme and other plants on this list, plenty of lesser-known low growers can handle foot traffic. Use these plants as grass alternatives in areas that get some—but not too much—foot traffic, like on the way to garden beds or between pavers or flagstones. Some nurseries separate "steppable" plants so you can easily find the best ones for your area.

A few examples of ground covers that tolerate some foot traffic are Shamrock Clover (Trifolium), which has two-toned green clover leaves and flowers in early summer in zones 4 through 9, and dwarf Mondo grass (also called monkey grass). Its evergreen tufts and small summer flowers need little maintenance and no mowing. It can grow in sun or part shade, like under trees, in zones 7 through 10. Blue Star Creeper, or Laurentia fluviatilis, thrives in zones 5 to 9 as an evergreen or semi-evergreen spreader less than an inch high and able to take some pounding from feet. Sky-blue flowers appear from spring through fall.

12. An Outdoor Living Space

Expand your living space to the outdoors and replace some turf with living spaces that integrate outdoor furniture and appliances: Put some patio furniture together and make a second living room, build a dedicated fire pit, or install an outdoor kitchen. As the pandemic limited activities, a 2021 survey found that 90 percent of Americans with outdoor living spaces like decks, porches, and patios were using them more.

RELATED: 25 Ways to Upgrade Your Outdoor Living Space for Almost Nothing

13. Moss-like Spreaders

Photo: greatgardenplants.Com

Homeowners who like turf's "green carpet" look but do not like mowing can pull out grass and replace it with a carpet of moss-like ground cover; in return, they get a yard with easier care and less watering. Though true moss thrives in wet shade, these moss look-alikes are versatile and easy-care grass alternatives.

Irish moss (Sagina subulata) grows rapidly to form a dense, low mat of green to dark green foliage along the ground. It can produce tiny white flowers in spring to mid-summer in zones 4 to 8. For a dense neon-yellow carpet effect, try yellow Scotch moss (Sagina subulata 'Aurea'), which grows in full sun or part shade in zones 4 through 8. These plants are not drought-tolerant, but are low-maintenance and rapidly growing alternatives to grass.

RELATED: 8 Plants You Can Grow Without Soil

14. A Water Feature

Water features are fairly easy to maintain, and they create a visual focal point in your garden. Consider replacing some of your grass with a fountain, pond, or super-sized bird bath. A water feature is not the most eco-friendly alternative to grass, especially in hot and dry areas, but bird baths and small fountains can offer focal points in a landscape and soothing white noise to block out sounds of traffic.

When done right, a water feature can attract birds and other wildlife to the yard. In desert areas, create a dry river bed that doubles as a director of runoff from a roof or high areas of the yard down to trees or other plants.

RELATED: Buyer's Guide: The Best Outdoor Fountains

15. Ornamental Grasses

If you're not ready to part with grass completely, make a show-stopping display with ornamental grasses. The long blades are a low-maintenance alternative to a traditional lawn, requiring only occasional trimming, but growing best in no-traffic areas or next to paths. Most are drought-tolerant, many are native, and they provide winter interest as their stems fade but "flowers" (seed stalks) remain to blow in the wind and feed birds as temperatures drop.

Although there are plenty of varieties to choose from at home and garden centers, select those with low-maintenance and low-water requirements that thrive in your area. The foliage of Little Bluestem turns from bluish-green in summer to reddish purple in fall in zones 3 through 8. Indian Grass is another low-water ornamental grass that grows to nearly 8 feet high with bronze seeds in fall to feed songbirds.

RELATED: Could a Ban on Ornamental Grasses Aid Water Conservation?

16. Appropriate Shade Trees

One of the drawbacks of removing a lawn is that it also takes away cooling effects on the yard, and even the house. Offset it with a vertical oasis of trees, which also offer privacy, shade, wind breaks, and even air purification. The sustainable path here, however, is to choose trees that are local to your area and that will require the least amount of water. Drought-tolerant Northern Red Oak grows quickly, offers fall color, and grows in zones 3 through 8. Scots Pine can handle low water after the first year, is evergreen, and grows in zones 3 through 7.

Note that trees can take years to mature to their full height. If you convert your grass lawn to gravel or hardscaping, avoid placing plastic weed barriers around a tree, which can deplete roots of oxygen and water. Be sure to choose a permeable woven fabric (and even permeable pavers) if you place these materials on the ground below the tree's expected canopy size.

RELATED: 11 Ideas for Better Backyard Privacy

17. Native Wildflower Meadow

A native wildflower meadow can look lush and colorful, but can save some time and water over thirsty turf lawns. Try taking out a partial section of lawn, like the areas along fences or paths that are more difficult to mow, or along property lines and seed it with wildflowers. A mini-meadow provides a focal point for the landscape, a magnet for pollinators, plus some cut flowers to bring inside in summer.

This lawn alternative takes a little more work than some, especially upfront to prepare the former area of lawn to clear weeds and grass. Most seed mixes contain both annual and perennial flowers, and often will reseed year after year, cutting down on subsequent maintenance. And even though the wildflowers might require a little watering and upkeep, the result of that work is a natural habitat for birds and butterflies.

RELATED: 17 Types of Wildflowers Every Home Gardener Should Know

18. Container Garden

If you love growing flowers or food, trade in your lawn mower and for a simple spade and watering can. A container garden is a good alternative to a lawn in areas where conditions change as summer progresses. It's easy to move a plastic pot in or out of shade. Although containers can dry out faster than garden beds, the growing area is confined and easy to water by hand, avoiding the waste of water evaporating from lawn sprinklers.

Position colorful planters throughout the yard for welcoming cheer and color, especially in areas where you already replaced turf with gravel or hardscaping.

Need a hand?

Some jobs are better left to the pros. Receive free, no-commitment estimate from lawn service professionals near you.

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Top 5 Entrepreneurs That Dominated 2023

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Jump Aero's First-Responder EVTOL Is A Big Jump

Jump Aero's tail-sitting, single-person eVTOL concept is meant to serve the rural emergency medical ... [+] response market and possibly change the industry.

Jump Aero

Last week, California startup, Jump Aero, unveiled a new eVTOL, a launch customer, and a potentially new emergency medical response model.

The eVTOL is called the JA1 "Pulse" - an eight-rotor, tail-sitting, vaguely Star Wars-esque single-person air vehicle in which the pilot flies Superman-style (prone) in forward flight.

Its aim is to rapidly deliver a pilot-paramedic to the scene of a medical emergency in rural areas within eight to ten minutes - the window of time before oxygen loss to the brain from a heart attack, stroke or injury can cause debilitating damage or death.

Pulse is the brainchild of a team led by former Terrafugia flying car startup CEO, Carl Dietrich. I spoke with Dietrich, who debuted Jump Aero's new concept at a conference in San Francisco on Friday, about the vehicle and what led him down the path to its eyebrow-raising design.

Jump Aero has quietly been fleshing out its Pulse concept for three-plus years with funding support from the Air Force's Agility Prime program as well as venture capital and angel investor funding. The Agility Prime imprimatur lends some visibility to a concept and a yet-to-be-built aircraft that may or may not pan out as envisioned.

The concept for Pulse is illustrated in a company animation: In simple terms, a medical emergency arises and a mobile app is used to summon Jump's first responder. A Pulse aircraft with a pilot-medic (and an aircraft support person) stationed in a commercially-owned facility or at a Fire/Ambulance Station is scrambled.

By virtue of its electric motors and batteries, the aircraft can immediately spin-up and launch without waiting to warm-up like a helicopter, cutting response time. The pilot -medic climbs into the tail-sitting Pulse in a standing position with broad visibility. The aircraft makes a vertical takeoff-climb to a prescribed altitude before tilting forward to transition to forward-flight. The pilot tilts along with it, flying in a prone position.

The JA1 then transits to the scene at relatively low altitudes and at speeds up to 250 knots, arriving within the golden eight to ten minutes noted above. It tilts back up to the vertical (the pilot again in a standing position) and makes a VTOL descent to landing at the scene. The pilot-medic emerges and stabilizes the patient, bringing along a defibrillator, a mechanical CPR device or other equipment.

As he/she does so, a traditional ground ambulance has been dispatched and arrives within the 15-20 minute window typical in rural areas. While the ambulance is enroute, a Pulse retrieval truck with the support individual has left the station for the scene. It arrives at some time near or after the ambulance to retrieve the pilot-medic and the (generally one-way) aircraft. The ambulance transports the stabilized patient to a hospital. The Pulse-carrying truck returns to the station.

"Our business is that we're not transporting patients at all," Dietrich says. "We're only getting a paramedic to the scene of the emergency to stabilize a patient. It's a new type of mission that nobody does right now which is a challenge..."

Indeed, the video and the above description raise a slew of questions for anyone remotely familiar with emergency response. The concept breaks both the emergency transport operation and two-person emergency medical response paradigms long codified within the first-responder industry.

But it has already won limited market support. Jump Aero announced Danish emergency services firm, Falck, as putative launch customer at the San Francisco conference.

Falck says it does business in 14 countries and conducts eight million medical response operations per year. These include ground ambulance operations in California, Colorado, and Oregon. However, the company's emergency medical and patient transportation services do not appear to include air-ambulance operations in the U.S. Or elsewhere.

Falck's lack of experience with such operations may have made it more receptive to Jump's conceptual departure from the norm. While Falck has not taken a financial position in Jump, it has purchased four Pulse airframe options (there is no physical airframe yet to purchase) according to Dietrich.

A second international emergency services operator has purchased a further ten options Dietrich adds, pointing out that all are non-refundable, underlining some confidence in Jump and its concept.

While the per unit cost of Pulse aircraft was not disclosed, it can reasonably be expected to be significantly less than a helicopter air ambulance given its size and limited scope. Its real-world operational costs and operating economics are far less certain at this point.

"Falck and other first-response organizations get it," Dietrich says. Their receptiveness he asserts is part of a broader movement within the emergency medical services sector to "try to do more actual treatment on site." That idea dovetails with the limited performance envelopes and limited experience of current eVTOLs.

By foregoing a patient transport role, Pulse can be relatively small. Its biplane configuration is expected to come with a 19-foot wingspan and 3,150-pound gross takeoff weight. Its eight unshrouded rotors will be approximately nine-and-a-half feet above the ground when sitting. They'll spin using eight motors and eight independent and cross-linkable 11 kWh batteries.

Jump's JA1 Pulse is projected to be able to carry a single pilot-medic and a 145-pound payload at ... [+] speeds up to 250 knots and if all conditions are right, up to 50 miles.

Jump Aero

Jump says the package will carry a 330-pound (150 kg) payload including the pilot-medic. Given that the average American adult weighs 185 pounds according to the CDC, Pulse would have about 145 pounds available for devices/medical supplies. Packing efficiently for a specific call or a limited range of scenarios will be paramount.

According to Dietrich, the rurally-oriented JA1 will have an approximate 50 nautical-mile range at its maximum energy conservation cruise speed of 123 knots. Real-world range will naturally hinge upon how much time a Pulse spends in hover, the sort of terrain it's over-flying, low altitude winds, weather and reserve requirements constraints.

The JA1's headline 250 knot dash capability would obviously cut its range in half and likely more. For now, the numbers are purely theoretical but Dietrich says the most important baseline metric will be the eVTOL's ability to travel 30 miles in eight minutes.

One-way ground ambulance trips in urban or suburban areas are typically ten miles or less but they lengthen in the rural areas (where 57 million Americans live) that Jump hopes to serve. The difference in rural distances and response times is so dramatic in some areas (over 25 minutes) that a recent study characterizes 4.5 million Americans as living in "Ambulance deserts" Dietrich says.

"We should cover nine to ten times the coverage area of a [ground] ambulance within that eight-minute window which is what changes the operating economics for the first-response service provider," he predicts.

Jump estimates that one Pulse unit could potentially service a population of approximately 10,000 people in a rural area with a seven percent chance of overlapping calls - essentially a one-in-ten shot of not being able to respond to two incidents simultaneously.

The company is investigating "candidate business models for our customers" Dietrich says, including a subscription service type model. He is confident that a Pulse's operating economics (one electric aircraft, staffed by a pilot-medic, aircraft support/retrieval truck driver and one ground ambulance driver-medic) can support for-profit medical response services in areas where existing models cannot.

"The bottom line is that to achieve the same type of rapid response in a traditional helicopter, you would need to keep the aircraft engine hot all the time— burning gas waiting for the call— this doesn't make economic sense when call frequency is on the order of one flight per day. With an eVTOL, we can achieve the rapid response capability without constantly burning dinosaurs — fundamentally changing the economics of rapid air response."

Real-world numbers may or may not support this and there are other considerations. I ran Jump's concept by a couple sources within the medical services and air ambulance industry. Their skepticism was obvious.

Much of it hinged on the combining of roles in one highly trained, highly stressed individual in Jump's proposed eVTOL.

"They always fly in pairs," one medical professional in the Midwest said of airborne emergency medical services (EMS) teams. Helicopter-borne EMS units typically include a nurse/RN and a pilot with limited paramedic training. Ground ambulances are similarly staffed by pairs, often an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a paramedic or two EMTs.

There are many reasons for this including different responsibilities and different accreditations that legally allow individuals to perform different tasks. An EMS helicopter pilot whom I spoke with echoed this sentiment.

"I'm not exactly sure how this one-person ship can accommodate all that's necessary for [triage]," said the pilot who flies medevac missions in rural Kansas and New Mexico.

He added that combining the skill sets to fly a multi-engine (motor) single-pilot IFR (instrument flight rules) low altitude aircraft in all sorts of weather and off-airport conditions with acumen in paramedic triage and life-saving procedures in one individual would be tremendously difficult, expensive and quickly lead to burnout.

"I've seen what these [medical] people do," the pilot continued. "If they're that smart and they have to devote that much time, they'd have no family or other pursuits." EMS helicopter pilots typically have recurrent training and two FAA check-rides per year.

The JA1 Pulse arrives at the scene of an emergency, descending vertically to a landing on relatively ... [+] level ground. Jump says its tail sitter can land on 10-degree slopes possibly limiting its application in many rural areas.

Jump Aero

According to the medical professional and others I spoke with, paramedics and EMTs are nationally certified and, depending on the state they are located in, require some level of recurrent training every year.

It's difficult to say what an individual with these combined skill sets - even if they might be at lower thresholds given the level of flight control automation Pulse may come with and better-defined requirements for simple triage, temporary life-sustainment certification - might cost in terms of salary requirements. Medevac pilots typically make six figures a year and flight medics make nearly as much.

Personnel requirements (include aircraft support personnel/retrieval drivers and possible ambulance staff if a private provider handles all three in a remote area) will impact the Jump concept economics. So too, will the current industry reimbursement structure.

Helicopter EMS companies like Air Methods or Global Medical Response are paid for medical transport, typically by the loaded-mile. Figuring out how to price and how to reimburse for emergency triage services as Jump envisions will be a "huge issue" Dietrich acknowledges.

The pilot I spoke with watched Jump's video and came away with a question regarding the mobile app-based call illustrated within. "Who has launch authority?" he asked. "If you want to launch an EMS helicopter, it requires a state authority, a hospital, a highway patrol or regional fire department that calls the provider dispatch."

He also opined that, "Right now we have two experts that are saving a life [in helicopter EMS]. With a single person you may be getting a Jack-of-all trades but a master of none. If someone is working on one of my kids, I want an expert in his or her field flying and a qualified medical expert trying to save their life."

Jump's video is obviously a thumbnail sketch of its concept but many details remain to be worked out aside from the eVTOL aircraft itself. The single-person paradigm is one Dietrich admits that his company wasn't sure of to start with.

Jump initially presented two-person aircraft concepts to potential customers. "We had talked with other first response companies who said, 'We always go with two people".

But Falck saw potential in the idea of a single pilot-medic for a narrow response mission, counting cost as well as the potential for faster on-scene EMS. "Is it okay to send one instead of two? We asked. It makes a big difference in terms of the speed with which you can get a human being to the patient. You can land closer to the emergency," Dietrich asserts. Falck agreed. "That was huge," Dietrich maintains.

It may well prove to be. But so many questions remain about the aircraft and the concept that it's hard to tell if they can be resolved by the time a prototype is completed in July 2025 followed by ground and flight tests at some point.

The Air Force will be watching these. AFWERX has given Jump $1.8 million in TACFI (Tactical Funding Increase) funding to fund construction of the first full-scale proof of concept prototype.

It's easy to imagine the USAF seeing more potential in Pulse for a special operations type role than for EMS but its pure-electric design would have to be altered. In fact, none of the eVTOL concepts that Agility Prime is investigating will likely mature as pure EVs for a host of obvious reasons.

Jump's Pulse is on the ground and emergency triage and sustainment is being administered to a ... [+] patient as the eVTOL sits on the lawn. It may remain there for a while before a truck comes to pick it up.

Jump Aero

Dietrich is glad to have limited Air Force support though he is a realist and a level-headed entrepreneur. The pitfalls of Jump's concept - from many unshrouded rotors not far above head-height to limited one-way range and return via truck which cuts availability in half - are obstacles the company will need to work through.

Certification will be another challenge since, beyond most air-taxi type eVTOLs, Pulse will have to be a certified emergency response vehicle. How a small, electric light aircraft flying at bird-strike altitudes in rural areas with no charging infrastructure and questionable weather will survive and provide enough availability to justify its cost is a major question.

Dietrich told me that, "If the economic and political drivers are strong enough (which we believe they are), the challenges will be overcome."

He may be right but Jump's goal of saving over 100,000 lives each year with the JA1 Pulse hinges on getting the market to accept an additive service at additional cost that does not solve the patient transport issue that remains.

It arguably concentrates risk in single individual in a small eVTOL. It's a business model reaching for a market for which no regulatory framework exists. It's a bold bet and a big reach.

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