‘Flying Cars’ Take Off at the Paris Air Show; see video – 06/20/2023 – Market

Much awaited, the first electric flying taxis are starting to leave the laboratories towards the tracks, like the Volocopter, which should officially operate during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The “Volocity” model, from the German brand Volocopter, landed smoothly after a 15-minute demonstration flight at the International Paris Air Show, which takes place at Le Bourget airport – on the outskirts of Paris.

With a seat for the pilot and another for the passenger, the device is powered by electric batteries and makes almost no noise, compared to fighter jets that cross the sky.

Briton Paul Stone, 56, commands the transport. This ex-Royal Navy soldier, with experience in fighter jets and helicopters, indicates that driving the vehicle is relatively “simple”.

With this eVTOL (vertical take-off and landing-capable electric aircraft), “helicopter pilots have to unlearn a lot of very specialized skills,” he adds.

“A digital flight control system” makes controlling this white plane — resembling a helicopter — much easier, explains Stone, excited to experience “this new world”.

Volocopter has been testing its devices for a year and a half together with companies that manage transport and airports in the Paris region.

It is the final stretch of an investment of US$ 600 million (R$ 2.8 billion), which represents “a challenge”, but which is “close to the commercial phase”, guarantees the commercial and financial director, Christian Bauer.

In addition to selling the planes, the company hopes to provide trips through an application that will allow online booking, in the format used by taxis.

The company has already received 300 pre-orders from private companies to explore in conjunction with its flying taxis.

No pilot?

The eVTOL enjoy, for the first time, a consecrated space at the French Air Force Salon — a place where ultra-sophisticated devices are displayed, in a context of significant investments.

According to a recent survey by the consultancy Deloitte, this aircraft model attracted, worldwide, six billion euros (US$ 6.5 billion, R$ 36 billion) of investments in 2021.

“Four years ago it was still a very exploratory sector. The market has consolidated a little and today we have true prototypes. It is becoming reality”, says Jean-Louis Rassineux, from Deloitte.

The number of requests follows the amount of enthusiasm. On Monday, the eVTOL Atea from French startup Ascendance Flight Technologies announced 110 new orders, bringing the total to 505.

United Airlines, in turn, ordered a hundred aircraft from the North American Archer for more than US$ 1 billion (R$ 4.8 billion) – its ‘Midnight’ model carries four passengers, in addition to the pilot.

“We can replace a 90-minute drive by car with five minutes,” Archer founder and chief Adam Goldstein told AFP.

Because it uses electrical energy, the cost of maintenance is lower than that of helicopters, according to Goldstein.

He rejects the criticism that these planes will be for the richest. “You can spread the cost across a much broader user base, making planes fly a lot further,” he says.

The American Boeing invested massively in the company Wisk Aero, which developed a pilotless eVTOL, also presented at Le Bourget.

“We are absolutely determined to have the first autonomous aircraft certified,” emphasizes Wisk leader Brian Yutko, who did not provide dates but has the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games in mind.