Companies envision taxis flying above jammed traffic

Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electric-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes."The easiest way to think about it is a flying car, but that's not what we're doing."Neighborhood parking garage rooftops or shopping mall lots could serve as departure or arrival pads for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.Joby executives said on a recent earnings call that its first production model aircraft should be in the skies later this year.Joby has declined to discuss details of the remotely piloted aircraft's crash, which occurred in an uninhabited area, saying it is waiting for US aviation regulators to finish an investigation."I'm really excited about where we are right now; we have demonstrated the full performance of our aircraft."Joby has announced partnerships with SK Telecom and the TMAP mobility platform in South Korea to provide emissions-free aerial ridesharing.Joby has also announced a partnership with Japanese airline ANA to launch air taxi service in Japan.- Rethinking required -"For mass adoption, people need to have a mindset change," Bristow said.The need for the change, though, is clear, she reasoned."There is nowhere else for traffic to go," Bristow said.Miami and Los Angeles are already exploring the potential of aerial ridesharing, and Archer is hoping to have a small air taxi service operating in at least one of those cities by the end of 2024."It's going to take a while before the infrastructure supports the mass expansion of what we're trying to do."The US airline has pre-ordered 200 Archer aircraft with an eye toward using them for "last-mile" transportation from airports, Bristow told AFP.- More time for life -"We're strong believers here that the industry is going through a pretty dramatic transformation," Xwing chief and founder Marc Piette told AFP.Thousands of regional airports used mostly for recreation could become part of aerial commute networks, air mobility consultant Scott Drennan told AFP.gc/jh...

from news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://ift.tt/pkvYfHg

May 09, 2022 at 10:17PM
https://ift.tt/Kl6WLZb
Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electric-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes."The easiest way to think about it is a flying car, but that's not what we're doing."Neighborhood parking garage rooftops or shopping mall lots could serve as departure or arrival pads for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.Joby executives said on a recent earnings call that its first production model aircraft should be in the skies later this year.Joby has declined to discuss details of the remotely piloted aircraft's crash, which occurred in an uninhabited area, saying it is waiting for US aviation regulators to finish an investigation."I'm really excited about where we are right now; we have demonstrated the full performance of our aircraft."Joby has announced partnerships with SK Telecom and the TMAP mobility platform in South Korea to provide emissions-free aerial ridesharing.Joby has also announced a partnership with Japanese airline ANA to launch air taxi service in Japan.- Rethinking required -"For mass adoption, people need to have a mindset change," Bristow said.The need for the change, though, is clear, she reasoned."There is nowhere else for traffic to go," Bristow said.Miami and Los Angeles are already exploring the potential of aerial ridesharing, and Archer is hoping to have a small air taxi service operating in at least one of those cities by the end of 2024."It's going to take a while before the infrastructure supports the mass expansion of what we're trying to do."The US airline has pre-ordered 200 Archer aircraft with an eye toward using them for "last-mile" transportation from airports, Bristow told AFP.- More time for life -"We're strong believers here that the industry is going through a pretty dramatic transformation," Xwing chief and founder Marc Piette told AFP.Thousands of regional airports used mostly for recreation could become part of aerial commute networks, air mobility consultant Scott Drennan told AFP.gc/jh...