The Rise of eVTOL: Revolutionizing Transportation and Shaping our Future
I recently had the opportunity to attend the ‘New Tech - Santa Cruz Companies to Watch in 2023’ event presented by Santa Cruz Works. It was inspiring to see the number of companies with a core focus on sustainability; solar PV technology, packaging, investment platforms and transportation to name a few.
Joby Aviation, who are pioneering the future of air mobility all in-house in Santa Cruz, immediately caught my eye. Their story and innovation has heightened my interest in future scoping transportation and relative technologies. In view of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles (eVTOL), here’s a closer look into how it may shape our not so distant future:
Flying cars are potentially the most notable instance of futureware that the world continues to question and predict. Are we there yet? No, however we’re definitely a step closer to what some of us have fantasized about from Sci-Fi in the form of eVTOL. The world is on the brink of a transportation revolution. eVTOL technology promises to revolutionize the way people in urban areas commute, transport cargo, and even respond to emergency situations. For example, aiding rescues from fires and other natural disasters where human intervention isn’t possible or is limited.
eVTOL will soon look to enable fully autonomous, fast and low-environmental impact transportation solutions that can be integrated into existing infrastructures (ie. rooftop car parks and vertiports). This will reduce road congestion, making cities even more mobile and efficient. Furthermore, it has the potential to provide improved access to remote locations with minimal disruption. This revolutionary technology will bring about a new era of transportation that is arguably safer, faster and more efficient than ever before. With its potential for low environmental impact, eVTOL could also help reduce our global carbon footprint while improving quality of life and connectivity in cities around the world. The vision of urban air mobility is integration into daily life. Think rapid point to point travel for the masses and not just wealthy individuals and organizations as it progresses to commonplace.
Despite all the excitement and pros of eVTOL, there are cons and potential challenges and not just the take-off and landing (pardon the pun). The most notable are:
High initial purchase or ride fees
Securing and regulating facilities
Air navigation
eVTOL operation
Technology
For instance, battery technologies used are way less efficient and energy dense when compared to jet fuels; 50x less to be exact.
Today, this reality may seem like a pipe dream, however cities continue to grow, research and investment from automakers is accelerating, and the demand for more efficient commuter networks is rising. eVTOL is calling. Watch the airspace over the next few years as you won’t be able to hear them coming!
Click here to see Joby in action and use the link below if you’d like to discuss your current project with someone at Spanner.