This article is part of the Future of Transportation series, which explores innovations and challenges that affect how we move about the world.
You can catch a flight to Kennedy International Airport in the late afternoon. Instead of sitting in traffic for two hours, you can take a short ride to a nearby parking garage where you can board an electric aircraft that takes off vertically from the roof and deposit you at Kennedy 20 minutes later for the same price as a ride-share. You make your flight.
Several companies say they are on the verge of being able to offer safe, cheap, clean electric aircraft that can help passengers travel distances between two and 150 miles without the need for a conventional runway. Public and private experts believe that the technology could grow into a massive market that could help ease congestion and change the way people travel in major metropolitan areas.
The cost of developing electric-powered aircraft that are viable as urban passenger transportation has been reduced due to improvements in battery technology. These companies are betting that they can bring electric urban and regional air travel to the public, and have developed new aircraft to compete for a slice of the market within the next few years.
Daniel Wiegand, the founder and chief executive of the company, said that they want to create something that is available to a lot of people. If we don't get there within 15 years, I would consider our mission failed.
The crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight other people, as well as the noise and safety risks of conventional aircraft, show that electric aircraft have many advantages over conventional aircraft.
The new electric aircraft use less energy than the conventional helicopter. They don't require runways to take off and land, unlike traditional fixed-wing aircraft. They are much safer than helicopters because they are mostly inaudible from the ground.
The co-chief executive of the company said his company hopes to offer fares in the range of three to four dollars per mile traveled. It would take 17 miles from Manhattan to Kennedy at a cost of between $50 and $80. The experts predicted that the price of regional flights would be the same as the price of a car service.
The batteries are expensive, but they get cheaper everyday. He wouldn't be more specific about battery costs.
Several companies have stood out for their technology and ability to raise capital. All want to provide an end-to-end service, combining the traditional roles of aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and airlines like Delta.
The experts said that the electric market was driving down the cost of batteries. Traditional manufacturers are increasing their investment in electric aircraft, with hopes of entering an aircraft into service in the year 2028.
The more established players in this space, like Joby Aviation and Volocopter, are promising to have aircraft in service by 2024, an ambitious goal that will depend largely on gaining regulatory approval.
Electric vehicles that takeoff and land vertically are the largest area of investment. Electric vertical takeoff and landing or e VTOLs are ideal for connecting two cities and can seat between two and 10 passengers.
Mr.Wiegand realized that an electric version of the military aircraft that took off vertically could be used in dense urban areas to eliminate noise and air pollution, as well as the need, after watching a video of it. Mr.Wiegand was a student at the Technical University of Munich when he began to develop the engine that powers his company's electric jet.
He believes his company's jet technology scales better than designs based on propellers, and that the additional capacity would help reduce costs to a level that middle-class consumers can afford.
The company is based in Munich and has two vehicles in advanced development, including a multicopter. The two-seat aircraft has a 22-mile range, which makes it easier to certify than some longer range electric aircraft, and is ideal for urban travel, where the majority of trips are 10 to 20 miles. A four-seat aircraft with a 100 mile range is being developed by Volocopter.
There are different missions and different vehicle types for different missions.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is considering approval for Volocopter and the company hopes to have its aircraft in operation by the year 2024.
Joby, based in Santa Cruz, Calif., has flown over 1,000 test flights on its fully electric aircraft, which seats four passengers plus the pilot and has a range of 150 miles on a single charge. The company made headlines last December when it was revealed that the ride-sharing giant had invested an additional $75 million into the company.
The introduction of electric aircraft to the transportation systems of the cities is already underway. The Urban Movement Labs was set up by the Mayor of Los Angeles in order to prepare for the certification of electric aircraft by the F.A.A.
The F.A.A. declined multiple requests for an interview, but said it is reviewing electric aircraft on a case-by-case basis.
The mayor of Miami said that his city is embracing eVTOLs as a cost-effective, environmental friendly alternative to legacy modes of transportation like buses and light rail. He said the city is looking at parking garages, rooftops and other potential takeoff and landing locations.
He said in an interview that one of the flaws in transportation planning and funding was retreading yesterday's ideas. The sky has multiple dimensions and gives you the ability to be creative.
Mr. Suarez said that he pushed Pete Buttigieg to embrace urban air mobility instead of focusing on older modes of transport.
The aircraft will likely be confined to existing airports and flight paths until officials are able to determine how the new locations for takeoffs and landings can be added without disrupting other modes of transport, according to the executive director of Urban Movement Labs. Joby and Archer are the first two to begin certification under the rules for existing fixed-wing aircraft.
If they are to arrive, we have to have everything in place so they can use it.
