Have you ever wondered why there aren’t electric flying taxis zipping between points around the city, like in Back to the Future Part II or The Jetsons? It turns out they’ll be here soon.
Brazilian plane maker Embraer said a new factory to make the “electric vertical take-off and landing” (eVTOL) aircraft will be constructed near São Paulo, reported BBC News. The company hopes the eVTOL taxis will be ready to fly by 2026. They will look like small helicopters and have enough room to transport six people.
The factory that will make the flying taxis will be located in Taubate, a city of 318,000 people about 87 miles from São Paulo.
Trips using the 100 percent electric craft will cost approximately $50 to $100 per passenger each way, sources from Embraer told AFP.
“We believe in the enormous potential of the global Urban Air Mobility market,” said Embraer president Francisco Gomes Neto, as AFP reported.
Initially, flights will have a human pilot, but the company is considering self-piloted aircraft in the future.
São Paulo, a city of 12.33 million, is home to the biggest helicopter fleet on the planet.
Because the taxis will be all electric, flights will be totally free of carbon emissions, making them much better for the environment than traditional aircraft.
Clients from several countries have already ordered 2,850 eVTOL aircraft, according to Embraer, including airlines, helicopter operators and flight-sharing programs. The orders thus far are worth around $1.5 billion.
Fort Lauderdale-based Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, will make the electric taxis.
“We are equipped to efficiently scale the production volume sustainably to meet the demands of a growing market,” said Alice Altissimo, Eve Air Mobility vice president of program management and operation, as reported by AFP.
United Airlines has plans to partner with Eve Air Mobility on an electric air taxi service to bring commuters to and from the San Francisco International Airport beginning in 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Last year, United Airlines invested $15 million in Eve Air Mobility and conditionally purchased 200 electric aircraft, with the option to buy 200 more.
United Airlines and Eve Air Mobility will be working to make sure the infrastructure, routes and areas for the craft to take off and land are in place before the electric taxis take to the skies around the City by the Bay.
“Our shared goal is to provide residents and visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area with efficient and cost-competitive transportation in one of the most densely populated urban areas in the U.S.,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve Air Mobility, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Bay Area is perfect for eVTOL flights given its size, traffic, focus on sustainability, innovation and commitment to add other options for mobility.”
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