4 Reasons eVTOLs Are the Next Big Thing in Transportation

People have been dreaming about electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles for a long time now.

10:42 15 March 2021

Still, it all seems quite surreal. But with technology making progress on a daily basis, perhaps mass adoption is not so far off.

 

At the moment, electric cars are a thing, but they are not the norm yet. Still, over time, this will change. In fact, people are already thinking past electric traditional electric cars and focusing on flying cars.

 

But could eVTOLs be the next big thing in transportation? Is this something investors should be looking forward to? In this article, you will discover 4 reasons eVTOLs could indeed be the future of transportation.

 

1. Electrification Is Happening Everywhere

 

Advanced electric battery technology has begun revolutionizing many industries. The transportation industry is no exception. Tesla is currently leading the automotive market. Furthermore, governments are making an effort to support the electric vehicle sector, with the U.S. pledging to replace its existing fleet of gas-powered cars.

 

Entrepreneurs have taken note and are looking for further opportunities to innovate. eVTOLs represent an obvious choice given the sector’s room for growth.

 

1. New Mobility Solutions Are Required

 

In many North American cities, traffic congestion is a major issue. Los Angeles is only one example. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the average driver there sits in traffic for around 119 hours every year.

 

Not only is this annoying for the drivers dealing with the issue, but it is also harmful to the environment. As a solution, some cities started making electric bicycles available. They can be unlocked with an app and they are stored and used in public. Thus, they are perfect when people don’t want to use the car for small journeys.

 

Sadly, this doesn’t fully eliminate the need for vehicles. Some regional journeys still require a faster means of transportation than bicycles. So what can be done? Enter regional air travel with eVTOLs.

 

eVTOLs make regional air mobility possible because they don’t require long runways or massive helicopter pads. Regional air mobility could also be safer, eliminate road noise, reduce road traffic congestion, and speed up journey times considerably. Moreover, eVTOLs have low emissions, and may be more affordable for short journeys.

 

1. The Performance of eVTOLs is Improving Drastically

 

Scientists are researching and testing various materials, trying to develop them as best as they can. The aim is to enhance the performance qualities that materials have to offer.

 

For example, there are scientists who developed plasma electrolytic oxidation, a top-of-the-line surface technology. During the conversion coating process, the performance of light alloys is greatly improved. This happens thanks to the alloys being bolstered with some ultra-hard ceramic-based coating.

 

There are also other ongoing studies and developments meant to help the industry move forward. For instance, dielectric breakdown strength is also something that scientists are looking into, trying to improve it. This is necessary for applications like eVTOLs, and even electric vehicles.

 

Currently, one major concern consumers have regarding eVTOLs is that they typically have very limited ranges. Even that’s rapidly being addressed by innovation, however.

 

Companies like Astro Aerospace are producing eVTOLs capable of flying 500km on a single charge while carrying five passengers. This will facilitate

 

1. The Use of Innovative Materials

 

There will be certain composites and additive manufacturing techniques that will be necessary for creating eVTOLs. However, there are other fast-maturing technologies that might bring a lot of value as well.

 

For instance, helicopters are known to boost their performance by using lightweight alloys. This doesn’t have any bad effect on their reliability or longevity, which makes the whole process worthwhile.

 

As such, eVTOLs will have to make sure they leverage these technologies to be able to get into the market much faster. At the same time, they must try to lower the costs of manufacturing this new aircraft type.

 

On top of that, it’s not surprising that when designing eVTOLs, materials are of huge importance. Not only do they have to be light, but they also need to provide the amazing, high performance that allows the operation to happen smoothly and efficiently.

 

Well, in many electronics applications, magnesium alloys are being used as a replacement for plastics. The best thing about this is that magnesium is not heavy. In fact, it’s just as light as plastic, but it’s more durable and much stronger. Besides, the performance offered is a lot better, as it does a great job at dispersing heat and shielding components from EMI. If it’s coated by an advanced surface technology, then the performance of magnesium gets even better.

 

Final Thoughts

 

eVTOLs are the future of transportation and people are looking forward to them – particularly those who are tired of being stuck in traffic all the time or those who want to use environmentally-friendly methods.

 

Electricity becomes more widely available in different applications, and the transportation industry might be the next innovation to benefit from it. If eVTOLs become a thing very soon, then transportation as we know it will change and become a better version of itself. People will have easier and cheaper ways to experience regional journeys while reducing the time spent in traffic.