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The aerial vehicles are planned to launch in Dubai, London and New York very soon. But how will they work, and will they be safe and sustainable?
The chance to soar over traffic in some of the world’s great metropolises sounds like a vision of the future that’s been a long while coming. And now, that vision is about to become reality in major cities such as Dubai and New York. Most recently, the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has issued its Future of Flight action plan, setting out the aim to have the first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) taxis over London as soon as two years from now. Here’s what to expect.
What’s the latest?
More than 150 technology companies have been working towards developing the vehicles, with a consensus largely forming that the flying taxi of the near future will look something like a drone. Over the past 15 years, propeller-driven drones have evolved from wobbly, crashprone toys into devices capable of delivering parcels to remote locations and putting on light displays. Advances in lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and the software to help guide flight have made all the difference.
Harnessing this new technology, California-based Joby Aviation is one of the companies developing eVTOL aircraft. Its flying taxi uses six electric motors combined with propellers that can tilt to help it manoeuvre in tight spaces and reach 200mph. It has a 100-mile range between charges, can carry four and — at least to begin with — will be piloted. Compared to traditional vehicles, it has a lower carbon footprint, with no exhaust emissions. And it is also near silent. Guy Norris, an editor at Aviation Week, has seen a prototype and says: “The aircraft made only a partially perceptible sound.”
Where will they arrive first?
As with the rise of electric cars worldwide, innovation has been emerging from China. Drone manufacturer EHang gained approval for its flying taxi from the Civil Aviation Authority of China last year. It’s now taken orders for 100 of its craft to be used for sightseeing and shuttle flights above the city of Hefei, and is developing a pilotless version. In the UK, Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace is the pioneer and has received £37m in government grants to complete development of its five-seater eVTOL flying taxi. This has cleared the design approval stage with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and is a contender to start testing above London by 2026, where locations for ‘vertiports’, where flying taxis will be able to take off and land vertically, are being explored. Within the confines of London, “there are companies exploring the potential for rooftops to be adapted,” says Will Nathan of Vertical Aerosp
