Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas of the Eiffel Tower and the city害羞草研究所檚 signature zinc-grey rooftops before landing him or her with a gentle downward hover.
And thus, if all goes to plan, could a new page in aviation history be written.
After of dreamy and not always credible talk of skies filled with flying, electric taxis, the aviation industry is preparing to deliver a future that it says is now just around the corner.
Capitalizing on its moment in the global spotlight, the Paris region is planning for a small fleet of electric flying taxis to operate on multiple routes when it hosts next summer. Unless aviation regulators in beat Paris to the punch by greenlighting a pilotless taxi for two passengers under development there, the French capital害羞草研究所檚 prospective operator 害羞草研究所� Volocopter of Germany 害羞草研究所� could be the first to fly taxis commercially if European regulators give their OK.
Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former top executive at aerospace giant Airbus, has a VVIP in mind as his hoped-for first Parisian passenger 害羞草研究所� none other than French President Emmanuel Macron.
害羞草研究所淭hat would be super amazing,害羞草研究所� Hoke said, speaking this week at the Paris Air Show, where he and other developers of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft 害羞草研究所� or eVTOLs for short 害羞草研究所� competed with industry heavyweights for attention.
害羞草研究所淗e believes in the innovation of urban air mobility,害羞草研究所� Hoke said of Macron. 害羞草研究所淭hat would be a strong sign for Europe to see the president flying.害羞草研究所�
But with Macron aboard or not, those pioneering first flights would still be just small steps for the nascent industry that has giant leaps to make before flying taxis are muscling out competitors on the ground.
The limited power of restricts the range and number of paying passengers they can carry, so eVTOL hops are likely to be short and not cheap at the outset.
And while the vision of simply beating city traffic by zooming over it is enticing, it also is dependent on advances in airspace management. Manufacturers of eVTOLs aim in the coming decade to unfurl fleets in cities and on more niche routes for luxury passengers, including the French Riviera. But they need technological leaps so flying taxis don害羞草研究所檛 crash into each other and all the other things already congesting the skies or expected to take to them in very large numbers 害羞草研究所� including millions of drones.
Starting first on existing helicopter routes, 害羞草研究所渨e害羞草研究所檒l continue to scale up using AI, using machine-learning to make sure that our airspace can handle it,害羞草研究所� said Billy Nolen of Archer Aviation Inc. It aims to start flying between downtown Manhattan and Newark害羞草研究所檚 Liberty Airport in 2025. That害羞草研究所檚 normally a 1-hour train or old-fashioned taxi ride that Archer says its sleek, electric 4-passenger prototype could cover in under 10 minutes.
Nolen was formerly , the U.S. regulator that during his time at the agency was already working with NASA on technology to safely separate flying taxis. Just as Paris is using its Olympic Games to test flying taxis, Nolen said the offer another target for the industry to aim for and show that it can fly passengers in growing numbers safely, cleanly and affordably.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l have hundreds, if not thousands, of eVTOLs by the time you get to 2028,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Paris show.
The 害羞草研究所渧ery small害羞草研究所� hoped-for experiment with Volocopter for the Paris Games is 害羞草研究所済reat stuff. We take our hats off to them,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淏ut by the time we get to 2028 and beyond 害羞草研究所� you will see full-scale deployment across major cities throughout the world.害羞草研究所�
Yet even on the cusp of what the industry portrays as a revolutionary new era kicking off in the city that spawned the French Revolution of 1789, some aviation analysts aren害羞草研究所檛 buying into visions of eVTOLs becoming readily affordable, ubiquitous and convenient alternatives to ride-hailing in the not-too-distant future.
And even among eVTOL developers who bullishly talked up their industry害羞草研究所檚 prospects at the Paris show, some predicted that rivals will run dry of funding before they bring prototypes to market.
Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the industry could be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050 with advances in battery and propulsion technology. Almost all of that will come after 2035, analysts say, because of the difficulty of getting new aircraft certified by U.S. and European regulators.
害羞草研究所淭he idea of mass urban transit remains a charming fantasy of the 1950s,害羞草研究所� said Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace consultancy.
害羞草研究所淭he real problem is still that mere mortals like you and I don害羞草研究所檛 get routine or exclusive access to $4 million vehicles. You and I can take air taxis right now. It害羞草研究所檚 called a helicopter.害羞草研究所�
Still, electric taxis taking to Paris害羞草研究所� skies as Olympians are going faster, higher and stronger could have the power to surprise 害羞草研究所� pleasantly so, Volocopter hopes.
One of the five planned Olympic routes would land in the heart of the city on a floating platform on . Developers point out that ride-hailing apps and E-scooters also used to strike many customers as outlandish. And as with those technologies, some are betting that early adopters of flying taxis will prompt others to try them, too.
害羞草研究所淚t will be a total new experience for the people,害羞草研究所� said Hoke, Volocopter害羞草研究所檚 CEO. 害羞草研究所淏ut twenty years later someone looks back at what changed based on that and then they call it a revolution. And I think we are at the edge of the next revolution.害羞草研究所�
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