Welcome to the B.Innovative – Advanced Air Mobility podcast. I am Lucas, the author and designer of B.Innovative.
As we look to the future of air travel, one of the new areas of technology that stands out the most is that of advanced air mobility. According BAE Systems, advanced air mobility is quote “an air transport system concept that integrates new, transformational aircraft designs and flight technologies into existing and modified airspace operations.”
Currently, there are three different types of advanced air mobility vehicles in development. These are electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, electric conventional take-off and landing aircraft, and small unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles.
Today, we will be focusing one of the three types of advanced air mobility, the electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, commonly known as an eVTOL, and why we should make the jump to this new technology.
Let’s look at the reasons we would want to use eVTOLs in the first place. Several primary applications include, but, of course, are not limited to, use as air taxis, use as cargo transports, and use for emergency respondence.
The primary application that most companies are looking at is that of using eVTOLs as air taxis in heavily populated cities. This is known as urban air mobility or UAM. With the possibility of drastically cutting time by taking a short flight over a large city such as New York, Los Angeles, or Paris instead of driving through congested traffic, many experts see UAM as a huge opportunity to open a market that previously has not been feasible. This would allow people to commute between two points in less time. On top of that, in locations where passenger demand exceeds the capacity of the current transportation system, air taxis could be a big capacity boost.
So, what are the main hurdles that must be overcome? Well, the main ones are regulatory approval, certification, upping technology readiness level, and public acceptance. Besides the possible time savings with flying in an electric air taxi, there is the appeal of the craft being electric – using green energy. Yet, this is one of the most challenging barriers to traverse. Current battery technology is not at a level to justify the economics of the electric air taxi. However, the next generation of batteries compared with current generation is projected to significantly increase the power-to-weight density. This will, in turn, increase range, capacity, and payload. One other significant challenge is that of the noise levels produced by the aircraft.
In summary, eVTOLs are projected to have amazing operating costs and will use green energy, but, at the same time, must be quiet enough, safe enough, and proven to meet regulations. Lastly, the public must accept them. Historically, new things are not embraced with open arms by the public. This is why companies are striving to tailor their aircraft for customer experience and convenience.
There are quite a few companies, each with a different approach and strategy, that have entered the playing field over the past several years. These companies include Joby, Archer, Wisk, Beta, Vertical, eHang, Volocopter, Airbus, Lilium, and many more.
Several companies, like Wisk, eHang, and Airbus, are looking at an autonomous or remotely operated approach to eVTOLs while others, such as Joby, Archer, Beta, Vertical, Volocopter, and Lilium, are initially looking at piloted aircraft.
Alright, now let’s take a look at why we should make the transition to eVTOLs. By using electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, not only will people be flying instead of driving, thus freeing up traffic on busy city streets, but also carbon emissions will be lowered overall. Big cities tend to have a lot of emissions because of the gas-powered vehicles that serve as mass-transit. It is important to steward the world that has been given to us. By using green transportation, we are doing just that. Reducing the noise level, so as not to be a distraction to others or cause difficulty to the hard of hearing, is a way that we can show love and grace for others around us. This is one reason it is so vital to reduce the overall noise of new aircraft.
All in all, this is an amazing technology that we should be pursuing. Unfortunately, not every company designing an eVTOL today will be successful. However, there will be some that will succeed and revolutionize air travel. They are pushing the limits and making the future reality!
What do you think about the Airlander and HAV ( Hybrid Air Vehicles )? Due to their use of helium they have similar advantages with regard to takeoff as well as potentially 90% less emissions. I think that would make a great post topic in the future.
My name is Lucas. I live in Greenville, South Carolina. Currently, I am a freshman at a private university in Wisconsin, studying mathematics. I would like to be an aerospace engineer working for an American company like NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Boom Supersonic, Hermeus, etc.
What do you think about the Airlander and HAV ( Hybrid Air Vehicles )? Due to their use of helium they have similar advantages with regard to takeoff as well as potentially 90% less emissions. I think that would make a great post topic in the future.