Air taxis are no longer science fiction. There are more than 200 start-ups in the world trying to gain a foothold in the new air taxi market, announcing the dream of fast, silent and sustainable urban air transport.
Joby, in particular, is in a prime position to become one of the first to gain FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approval for commercial passenger flights. They say they hope to achieve FAA certification this year, 2024, and begin flying with passengers in 2025.
Joby Aviation is a Californian company founded in 2009 that develops an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft called Joby Aviator . This personal aerial vehicle (PAV) is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers on trips of up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) at a cruising speed of 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph). Joby Aviator. Este vehículo aéreo personal (VAP) está diseñado para transportar a un piloto y a cuatro pasajeros en viajes de hasta 160 kilómetros (100 millas) a una velocidad de crucero de 320 kilómetros por hora (200 mph)
A video can be seen at: https://youtu.be/cuJEf4v05Z0
All air taxis are very similar, and their limitation is the electric battery. When batteries evolve and offer more energy per kilo of battery, these vehicles will have greater autonomy. And when batteries drop in price, these vehicles will also become cheaper.
Where are air taxis going to start being used?
Most companies prioritize connecting airports with city centers, since a trip that today can take an hour by car would be made in less than 10 minutes, and that would be attractive to many customers who use air transport.
Joby initially plans to offer its air taxi service in select cities in the United States, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. And logically, it will try to expand to other cities in the world in the future.
Some Chinese companies are also quite advanced in their developments and test flights, as the Chinese government supports these new market niches based on new technologies. We must not forget that the largest manufacturing companies of these batteries are Chinese.
The target prices for air taxis are not defined, but they are intended to compete with taxis and helicopters, and as the technology matures and more people use them, their prices will go down and become more affordable for the general public.
Despite the many potential benefits, air taxis also face some challenges:
- Safety: Safety is the main concern for any new mode of transportation. Joby and other eVTOL companies are working closely with the FAA to ensure their aircraft are safe and reliable
- Certification and flight standards: The standards to be met by these devices, and the procedures to be followed to achieve safe flights, must be standardized.
- Infrastructure: New infrastructure, such as heliports, will be needed to support air taxis.
- Public acceptance: Some people may be reluctant to the idea of flying in an air taxi. Building trust and public acceptance will be important for this new mode of transportation to be successful.
It is possible that in a short time we will see the first flights of these devices, but there are still many years left for them to be something everyday, and I have to admit that it is a technology that I love.
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