By akademiotoelektronik, 26/12/2022

eVTOL: everything you need to know about these electric aircraft

The future of aerospace mobility relies heavily on Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing, or eVTOL. Indeed, the massive adoption of this new technology will change the means of transport used for passengers and goods.

After decades of aborted projects, a new category of vehicles is beginning to emerge. Many companies, whether start-ups or established manufacturers, are developing eVTOLs. These are expected to hit the market within a few years. Discover in this file what eVTOLs are and how they work.

Table of Contents

What is eVTOL?

eVTOL is short for electric Vertical Take-off and Land. It stands for one of the latest innovations in the aerospace industry. Large omni-directional fans help the device move in all directions and even take off vertically. While the designs vary between developers, most of them look like a drone and are powered by electric power.

For an eVTOL to function as an "air taxi", it must take off vertically. Another critical element concerns the transition between vertical and forward flight. No eVTOL design involves a helicopter-like structure.

While the eVTOL is by nature a quiet aircraft,its cabins feature noise-canceling technology for a comfortable flight. In addition, researchers are making a lot of effort to perfect this air taxi in order to make it completely autonomous. But for now, the concepts will be piloted.

Characteristics of eVTOL

Nearly a decade ago, NASA scientists theorized that vertical flight of the future was characterized by< b> distributed electric propulsion. This design relies on multiple thrusters and an efficient wing structure for safety, noise and emissions reasons. Thus, itreplaces rotor systems using cyclics, transmissions, gearboxes, axles and hydraulics.

Uber Elevate's white paper on the eVTOL aircraft details the following specs:

The benefits of implementing eVTOL

Although eVTOL technology is intended for larger aircraft in the future, it currently lends itself to shorter point-to-point journeys. As its name suggests, the eVTOL aircraft performs a helicopter-like takeoff without the need for a landing strip, making it ideal for highly populated urban areas .

Powered by electrical energy, eVTOLs are a silent and low-polluting means of transport that will revolutionize travel. eVTOL air taxis can provide fast, direct and clean mobility. Especially in the face of road congestion, saturation of public transport networks and other transport problems that affect many urban areas around the world.

For example, ride-sharing giant Uber calculated that a two-hour trip through traffic jams in Sao Paulo would be reduced to 18 minutes using eVTOL. Other electric air taxis have been marketed as being "100 times quieter than conventional aircraft". In terms of price, the models suggest that air taxis will cost about the same price per kilometer as existing ride-sharing services.

Challenges of eVTOL

In 2019, Deloitte released a research paper outlining barriers to eVTOL adoption. This report details what constitutes an obstacle to the development of the air mobility of the future.

Indeed, eVTOL vehicles have applications that go beyond “air taxi”. Future possibilities include intercity transportation and freight forwarding opportunities. For companies like Amazon, which has already invested in drone delivery trials, eVTOL could further reduce costs and speed up deliveries.

But before that future can be realized, there are significant hurdles to overcome. These are mostly similar to those that are holding back the adoption of the autonomous car.

Regulations

eVTOLs will have to draw up flight plans and communicate with other aircraft. So before they are set up, the companies will have to deal with certificates of airworthiness and pilot licenses. Indeed, it is obvious to anyone working in the aviation sector that there are also strict certifications to meet.

Technology

The development of eVTOL will be accompanied by the adoption of 5G and IoT. Indeed, the aircraft will have to communicate with each other and with any control center.

On-board sensors and collision avoidance systems will also require IoT integration. Real-time information on whereabouts and maintenance needs are critical.

If autonomous eVTOLs take off, artificial intelligence will play an important role. In fact, AI technology will need reliable networks to communicate large amounts of data. Beyond that, efficiency is a big concern for this new technology.

When it comes to expanding eVTOL technology for longer trips and larger devices, battery capacity remains a major hurdle.

Infrastructure

Although there are many airports, they are usually not located in the middle of busy cities. However, most passengers will use eVTOL aircraft for short trips. Therefore, it will be necessary to build take-off and landing strips in large, busy cities.

Among the changes, there are also electric charging stations. The aircraft will alsoneed infrastructure when not in use. Maintenance hangars or car parks will have to be built not far from the central hubs. Cities and municipalities will need to plan locations as soon as possible, working with technology providers and regulatory authorities.

Safety

Mass adoption of eVTOL aircraft will only happen with an exemplary safety record. Training centers like Spartan College must develop and adapt programs for the certification of new aircraft. With such different technologies and designs, the study promises to be exciting.

Psychology

Getting around on a small plane with a pilot is a real alternative to traveling by taxi and commercial flights. However,autonomous flights are a completely different approach.

In fact, nearly half of respondents to the Deloitte survey believe that eVTOL aircraft reduce traffic congestion. Yet 80% of respondents also believe that electric planes pose risks. Thus, investors must learn to shape and appease consumer opinion.

Air Traffic Management

Air Traffic Management is already a costly and complicated process. The need for proper traffic organization due to eVTOL will increase significantly. The skies become more crowded over time.

Air traffic will have to integrate other aircraft already in service as well as other eVTOL aircraft. All eVTOL aircraft mustbe able to communicate with each other and detect each other.

The difficulty is that competing private companies must work together to keep the skies safe. Regulations are essential to ensure that new “airlines” follow the rules.

Setting up an unmanned air traffic management system is complicated. Three key elements will help achieve this:

The main players in eVTOL

Despite all these challenges, the race to dominate the airspace is already well underway. Many companies are naturally interested in this emerging technology, including major airlines.

Themajor aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, play an important role in the development of eVTOLs.Airbus is working on its Vahana (single-seater) and CityAirbus (four-seater) concepts. As for Boeing, the company is even collaborating with luxury car manufacturer Porsche to develop a high-end eVTOL vehicle.

Uber created Uber Elevate in 2016 to develop a vehicle for air ride-sharing services. The company sold Uber Elevate in December 2020 to another aviation company, Joby Aviation.

For its part, Joby Aviation has teamed up with car manufacturer Toyota to develop another air taxi service. This service involves five-seat eVTOL air taxis with a range of 150 miles and top speeds of up to 200 mph.

Several airlines are also exploring this technology, often in partnership with start-ups. Earlier this year, United Airlines announced its partnership with air mobility company Archer to develop eVTOL vehicles. The goal is to design short-haul electric air taxis for dense urban environments. Archer is currently developing its own eVTOL vehicle, which it hopes to deploy in Los Angeles by 2024.