See inside the sustainable flying taxis, or eVTOLs, that hope to revolutionize traveling in cities
Pete Syme
- Flying taxis, or eVTOLs, are nonpolluting aircraft that could first be available in 2025.
- Companies such as Archer hope to transform commuting with their accessible aircraft.
- Take a look inside the flying taxis that were on display at the Dubai Airshow.
Electric vertical-takeoff and -landing aircraft, better known as eVTOLs or flying taxis, could be aviation's next big thing.
They function similarly to helicopters but are lighter, make far less noise, and don't pollute because batteries power them.
The hope is that they will reduce traffic congestion in major cities.
Archer plans to have its first commercial route between Newark Liberty International Airport and downtown Manhattan, which it estimated would take under 10 minutes, versus over 50 minutes via car.
Unlike helicopters, eVTOLs should be affordable and available to hail via an app, like Uber rides.
Archer's chief commercial officer, Nikhil Gupta, told Business Insider that with no fuel cost, its Midnight eVTOL cost between $4 and $5 per passenger mile — with a long-term goal to get that down to $1 — while helicopters cost about $10 per passenger mile.
Archer hasn't set a price yet and still faces hurdles, such as building the vertiports necessary to scale use. But either way, these new, nonpolluting aircraft could transform commuting as soon as 2025, when Archer and Joby Aviation hope to start commercial flights.
Archer, worth over $1 billion, was among the eVTOL companies exhibiting their work at the Dubai Airshow earlier this month. Take a look at some of the flying taxis that could be taking to the skies in the next few years.
Several eVTOL companies exhibited their work at the Dubai Airshow, which had a pavilion dedicated to advanced air mobility.
Archer had the biggest presence in the pavilion, with a full scale model of its Midnight eVTOL.
In some renderings and pictures, the aircraft looks black. But it's actually midnight blue, hence the name.
The cockpit was set up with two side-by-side screens and two joysticks for the pilot.
The Midnight model had room for four passengers and these sleek, curved seats with a cross-shaped seatbelt.
The divider by the headrest featured this neat LED display, which would provide passengers with a customized welcome.
As I sat in a front seat with the doors open, the aircraft felt light and nimble — a key feature given it's powered by a battery.
Though the two seats in the back looked a bit snug.
AutoFlight's Prosperity I was the only eVTOL out on the tarmac.
Prosperity I was supposed to take part in the air show's flying display, but the plans fell through, AutoFlight Europe's managing director, Mark Robert Henning, said during a panel.
It also seats four passengers but uses a simpler design.
A screen on the back of the pilot's seat shows a flight map.
Like the Midnight model, the cockpit had a joystick control but just one large screen.
Back inside, Eve Air Mobility — an Embraer subsidiary — showcased a cabin model.
Its pilot controls included a lever as well as a joystick.
It was nice to see some color inside and a map showing the estimated flight time.
Eve Air Mobility is arranged with two pairs of seats facing each other, which could be good if you know all the other passengers.
The doors had no-smoking and seatbelt signs, like a commercial airliner does.
The coolest detail was this screen, which showed recorded footage of the sky like a sunroof.
Lilium, a German eVTOL company, also had its cabin on display.
It also showcased a small scale model of its aircraft, called the Lilium Jet.
It was roped off, but it looked to be set up in a four-seat configuration like Eve's aircraft. The Lilium Jet can also be configured with six passenger seats and one pilot.
Not all the major players were exhibiting in Dubai, such as Wisk, a Boeing subsidiary.
Also missing was Joby Aviation, which carried out an exhibition flight in downtown Manhattan the day before the air show began.
But there were several smaller startups showing off futuristic models, including Bellwether Industries' Oryx.
The French startup Ascendance, which is working on a hybrid VTOL, also had a presence.
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