The dream of flying above traffic jams will soon be reality
From “Brave New World” to “Blade Runner,” the dream of flying above traffic jams in personal aircraft has a rich history. Now that autonomous vehicles are being tested, it’s natural to ask: Are flying cars next? Jetsons-style family flight is probably decades away, but air taxis could be in wide use by 2030, reports Boomberg.com.
What are air taxis?
Essentially, take a hobbyists’ drone and enlarge it to hold half a dozen people. Now under development, they take off and land vertically like helicopters but unlike those vehicles, they have several motors, each with a propeller, powered by electricity instead of a single internal combustion engine that turns a large rotor. Called eVTOLs for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, some have propellers that tilt to provide forward thrust, boosting speed and efficiency. They’re being designed to be lighter, quieter, more environmentally friendly and — crucially — less expensive to operate than choppers. A 40-minute helicopter trip from New York City to the Hamptons beaches runs about $600. An air-taxi ride would have to be much cheaper to gain traction.
Why not flying cars?
Although the idea of driving out of your garage and down the street before taking off for a quick flight to work is enticing, the hurdles are high. For one, it’s complicated to make a vehicle that can travel on roads and in the sky. Beyond that, airspace would quickly get crowded and dangerous if just about anyone could become a pilot. Self-piloting aircraft may one day become a reality, but not anytime soon.
How would air taxis be used?
At the outset, they’re most likely to be deployed on a schedule between set points — from an airport to downtown, for example — than on demand like a typical taxi. In that way, the service would be more like air transit than air taxis. Each vehicle would carry a handful of passengers and a pilot. As technology, regulation and popular acceptance advance, eVTOLs could be operated remotely, like drones, though that could be years away. Going pilotless would help reduce costs. On-demand service will take longer to be financially viable: There would be a need for more takeoff and landing areas and fewer passengers per customized flight.
Who’s developing the technology?
More than 70 companies have projects in development. They include planemakers Airbus SE, Boeing Co. and Embraer SA; Textron Inc.’s Bell helicopter unit; Uber Technologies Inc., which envisions setting up so-called vertiports on office buildings; and dozens of startups. Airbus flew a full-scale version of its eVTOL in 2018 for the first time, and Boeing’s prototype made its maiden flight in January. Smaller companies that are developing aircraft include German startup Lilium, which has flown a small electric-powered jet that takes off vertically and then flies like an airplane. More at