Airgenix Blog
2022-08-16 17:31

Urban Air Mobility

Aviation and Ground based transportation industries are growing year over year, introducing new technologies that significantly improve reliability, safety, affect on environment and energy consumptions. Unfortunately, current ground-based transportation systems are subjected to various challenges, including the high cost of infrastructure development, limited land space, growing urban population, increasing pollution and significant risks of global warming. Aviation is even much more complicated considering cost, time for certification and development of new products and education to operate the air transport. Therefore, the automotive and aviation industries are collaborating to develop flying cars, also known as electric, vertical, takeoff, and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs). These eVTOLs will allow for rapid and reliable urban and suburban transportation. Safe operation of eVTOLs will require well-developed wireless communication networks, that are more advance than Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) currently utilised in aviation. Possible systems to be implemented and certified by authorities can be three-dimensional cellular networks on-ground, tethered balloons, high-altitude platforms, and satellites.
The eVTOL sector looks set to be a new emerging trend over the next 5 years as it offers new opportunities and advancements in air mobility. According to Morgan Stanley, Urban Air Mobility can become a 1 trillion market by 2030 and 9 trillion by 2050 with global market grow from $162 million to $411 million from 2025 to 2030 with CAGR of approximately 20.42%. eVTOLs are 100 time quitter than helicopters, usually offer from 2 to 4 passenger spaces with up to 200 miles of range. Also most of the current projects are using electric power that produces 0 carbon with significant positive effect on our environment.


Aircraft manufacturers like Airbus are investing into the new trend of urban air mobility, American Airlines are putting orders for Archer eVTOLs, Irish based lessor Avolon invest significantly in Vertical Aerospace and non traditional rich investors and multinational corporations such as Google cofounder Larry Page, autonomy pioneer Sebastian Thrun, entrepreneur Martine Rothblatt, cofounder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, Zynga founder Mark Pincus, investor Adam Grosser, entrepreneur Marc Lore, companies such as Uber, Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, Boeing, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, JetBlue, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and many more are showing growing interest and new opportunities in new market.


Sergio Cecutta the founder of SMG Consulting has been ranking eVTOL startups in its Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index since December 2020. According to it the top 10 startups have secured more than 6 billion in funding with other few hundred companies secured combined funding of few hundred million. In coming years we will see the changes in the top 10 players due to manufacturing, certification issues and overcoming supply chain issue and component shortages due to rising competition in eVTOL space.


Overall number of companies that are involved in development of eVTOL and revolution in urban air transportation currently stands at 250. The most promising at the moment are:

Joby Aviation:
  • eVTOL: The S-4
  • Range: 150 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 200 mph
  • Power: Six electric motors
  • Seating: One pilot and four passengers.

Jaunt Air Mobility:
  • eVTOL Program: Journey
  • Range: 80 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 175 mph
  • Seating Capacity: One pilot, four passengers

Archer Aviation:
  • eVTOL Program: Unnamed
  • Range: 60 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 150 mph
  • Power: Battery-electric tilt rotor
  • Seating: One pilot, four passengers

Volocopter:
  • eVTOL: VoloCity
  • Range: 22 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 68 mph
  • Power: Nine lithium-ion battery packs, brushless DC electric motor, 18 rotors
  • Seating: Two passengers, with room for hand luggage.

Lilium:
  • eVTOL: The Lilium Jet
  • Range: 186 miles.
  • Cruise Speed: 186 mph
  • Power: 36 electric motors powered by a 1 MW lithium-ion battery.
  • Seating: One pilot, four passengers

Wisk:
  • eVTOL: The Cora
  • Range: 25 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 100 mph
  • Power: 12 independent electric battery-powered lifting propellers.
  • Seating: Two passengers

Airbus:
  • eVTOL: CityAirbus Demonstrator
  • Range: 60 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 75 mph
  • Power: Eight 100 kW electric motors, eight fixed-pitch propellers
  • Seating: Four passengers

Ehang:
  • eVTOL: EH216
  • Range: 21 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 83 mph
  • Power: Electric batteries
  • Seating: Two passengers

Vertical Aerospace:
  • eVTOL: VA-1X
  • Range: 100 miles
  • Cruise Speed: 150 mph
  • Power: Eight electric battery-powered propulsors.
  • Seating: One pilot, four passengers

And which one you like or follow and which company you would like to invest?