It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… an eVTOL: an electric Vertical TakeOff & Landing aircraft. These are electric-powered vehicles that are designed to hover, take off and land vertically.
Yep, land vertically. That’s the downward movement of the vehicle directly towards the ground. So, it’s a controlled and gradual downward movement that allows the aircraft to land safely. Think of an elevator moving downward in a building. Now, imagine an aircraft doing that. Contrast that to an aircraft that requires runways for takeoff and landing & that descends gradually.
So, bye-bye to runways with eVTOLs?
And unlike traditional aircraft that rely on aviation fuels derived from fossil fuels, eVTOLs are said to operate using electricity. That could reduce dependency on non-renewable energy sources and contribute to efforts to transition to cleaner energy alternatives. So, they’re like futuristic flying cars powered by electricity.
What’s India thinking about this? InterGlobe Enterprises is the parent company of Indian airline IndiGo. And Archer Aviation is a US-based eVTOL aircraft player backed by entities, like Boeing, United Airlines and Stellantis. In November 2023, InterGlobe Enterprises unveiled plans for an all-electric air taxi service in India by 2026 by collaborating with Archer Aviation. The announcement was marked by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two parties. There’s, also, something called a vertiport, that’s a facility specifically designed for eVTOL aircraft, serving as a launching pad and takeoff point for these vehicles. InterGlobe & Archer are said to be planning to collaborate not only on aircraft operations, but also on financing, vertiport infrastructure development and personnel training.The objective is said to be introducing a safe, sustainable and low-noise electric air taxi service in India. However, that would be contingent on regulatory approvals.
These eVTOLs could align with India’s efforts to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
And apart from having its eVTOLs operating in India, Archer might consider making them there to lower costs. The partnership is said to aim to deploy up to 200 of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft in India. And this could drastically reduce travel time. So, a journey of close to 30 km from Delhi to Haryana that takes 60-90 minutes by car could be completed in less than 10 minutes. Beyond transporting people, there could be other use cases, like cargo, logistics, medical and emergency services and more.
Imagine: with eVTOLs, an ambulance wouldn’t be stuck in traffic again. Though, does India have the regulations and policies in place for eVTOLs? The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India is said to be working on developing an ecosystem for these aircraft.
However, the tech powering eVTOLs may still be evolving. Technical challenges, like battery efficiency, range limitations and developing fail-safe systems may need to be addressed to ensure the reliability and safety of these aircraft. Range limitations are all about the maximum distance these eVTOLs could travel on a single charge or battery cycle. How far could an eVTOL fly before it needs to land and recharge its batteries?
Think of your phone that you’ve charged up to 100% at 8 am. Should get you through the day, right? What if by 10 am, you start giving someone Hotspot for about 5 hours? That could lead your phone’s battery to die by 4 pm. Under what circumstances could that apply to eVTOLs?
Any technology looked at could have limitations. But, something new that’s transporting people by air? The magnitude of the potential risks could be higher.
And while eVTOLs, themselves, may be considered greener, how they get to where they are may raise some eyebrows. eVTOLs are said to usually use lithium-ion batteries as their primary energy storage system. However, producing these lithium-ion batteries is said to require the extraction of raw materials, like lithium, cobalt and nickel. And the mining operations, like for cobalt, are said to have been associated with environmental degradations and child labour concerns in some regions.
Also, the manufacturing process of lithium-ion batteries is said to be energy-intensive. Extracting, processing and manufacturing could contribute to carbon emissions, depending on the energy sources used in the production facilities. And the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries is said to involve transporting raw materials and finished products across long distances. That could contribute to carbon emissions and environmental impacts associated with transportation.
Can the environmental impact of manufacturing, maintaining and disposing of these vehicles be carefully managed? Improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries could lead to soil and water contamination. And lithium and cobalt are said to be finite resources.
If India has a growing dependence on eVTOLs, could this increased demand for raw materials lead to resource scarcity and potential geopolitical challenges? And what could all this mean for India? How beneficial could these eVTOLs be for a country with more than 1.4 billion people and whose cities are densely populated and grappling with congestion? Plenty.
According to the World Bank, urban populations could double by 2050. So, these eVTOLs could decongest the world’s largest cities including the ones in India. And this could be a panacea for making remote or difficult-to-reach areas more accessible. Could the potential convenience and speed offered by electric air taxis in India boost tourism by making travel between major tourist destinations more accessible and quick? Maybe, some economic opportunities open up, like infrastructure development, manufacturing and maintaining eVTOL aircraft and more. This could contribute to creating jobs.
Maybe, Indian startups could explore opportunities in vertiport infrastructure development. So, they could design, construct and manage these specialized facilities for air taxis. And there could be a demand for improvements in areas like battery efficiency, flight control systems, safety features and more. Could there be platforms or apps developed to integrate electric air taxis into existing urban mobility solutions?
In the US, there’s said to be Uber Copter, which allows one to ride from a helicopter to get to and from a destination. Could India see something similar?
And could there be Indian startups focused on sustainable practices and environmental solutions in providing eco-friendly alternatives for the electric aviation industry? Especially since eVTOLs are said to produce zero emissions at the point of use, compared to traditional vehicles relying on fossil fuels. And these electric motors are said to be generally more energy-efficient, so that could contribute to reducing energy consumption overall. If the electricity used for charging is sourced from renewable energy, even more so.
Overall, could adopting electric air taxis accelerate tech advancement in the aviation sector in India? Could India be positioned as the hub for innovation for eVTOL tech?
According to the IMARC Group, the global eVTOL aircraft market size is expected to reach about $24 billion by 2028.
What is the future of India’s transportation? Will your next taxi have you looking at the clouds?
