Wouldn’t it be nice to skip all the typical rush hour traffic and fly to work? Thanks to human-carrying drones, that will likely be possible sooner rather than later. You’ll probably see electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), also known as electric air taxis, sooner than you think. According to PR Newswire, the market for these aircraft could hit $2.3 billion by 2028. So, when will we finally get to avoid the pesky morning gridlock, and how much will a trip cost?
New York City will offer rides in electric air taxis starting in 2025.
Smart Cities Dive reports New York will become the first American city to offer trips in electric air taxis in 2025. The planned trip will take commuters from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to downtown NYC in ten minutes.
The company developing the Newark to NYC eVTOL route, Archer Aviation, has plans for Chicago too. NewsNation reports electric air taxis will also hit the Windy City in 2025. The crafts will carry passengers from O’Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago in about ten minutes as well.
Electric air taxis cut commutes exponentially, as the Chicago and NYC routes typically take about an hour by car. And they only get worse during peak traffic hours. However, eVTOLs also cut down on air and noise pollution, according to United Airlines Ventures president Michael Leskinen.
“Archer’s New York to Newark route marks another important benchmark towards providing a carbon-neutral and safe commute,” Leskinen said. “[Electric air taxis] drastically reduces […] travel time and produces a fraction of the sound emitted by helicopters.”
How much will eVTOL trips cost?
The eVTOLs can carry four passengers and all their luggage and reach 150 miles per hour. One would think these air trips of the future will cost an arm and a leg. Though, that shouldn’t be the case here. Leskinen told Forbes a seat on an eVTOL ride would cost about $100 to $120. However, he also said that the price is “evolving,” and nothing is set in stone yet.