What are eVTOL aircrafts? 

One of the latest innovations in transportation technology, eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off & Landing) aircrafts are electric aircrafts that take off and land going straight up and down. Short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts, eVTOLs are sometimes referred to as air taxis or flying taxis. Powered by batteries, eVTOLs hover and fly, much like a helicopter, and are typically designed to carry two to six passengers including a pilot. (A helicopter is considered a VTOL.)

Are eVTOLs in use yet? 

Outside of testing, eVTOLs haven’t taken to the skies in the United States, according to Farhan Gandhi, director of the Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift (MOVE) and director of the aerospace program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. While Gandhi believes eVTOL aircrafts will soon be ready to fly outside of testing, certification by the Federal Aviation Administration will take time. According to Gandhi, negotiations between eVTOL companies and the FAA are ongoing, but companies will ultimately have to prove to regulators that these aircrafts can operate safely. To do that, they’ll have to show what recovery mechanisms will be in place if there’s some sort of mechanical failure. “Nobody is ever quite 100 percent sure how long it will take,” Gandhi said. “Especially because we’re talking about brand-new aircraft.”

Capabilities of eVTOL aircrafts: 

Despite regulatory hurdles, the use of eVTOLs is increasingly rooted in reality. “You can look at it and you can say, ‘Yeah, this is a viable aircraft. I can see this flying in some period of time, and I can see it operating,’” Gandhi said. “As opposed to, you can look at something, you can roll your eyes and say, ‘Yeah, this is a pipe dream.’” Gandhi believes eVTOLs will eventually be used for some sort of flying taxi service. “But also cargo, package delivery — this is where they might shine in the near term,” he said. While the capabilities of eVTOL are similar to that of other aircraft in the sky, eVTOLs can potentially do it in a more sustainable way — especially when paired with other mobility services — by easing congestion and decreasing emissions, Plaut said.