Friday, July 1, 2022

Friday Feature: Would You Take an Air Taxi?


 Have you heard of eVOTL aircraft? I had not. It stands for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing, and it's the technology behind air taxis. 

That's right. Bye bye slow go, hello speedy service. 

Joby Aviation, one of the companies behind this technological marvel, received its initial FAA certification last month and hopes to have its full-scale air taxi service up (literally) and running by 2024. 

Meanwhile, in a hangar in Los Angeles, Archer Aviation debuted its air taxi earlier this month, too. It also hopes to launch (again, literally) in 2024.

You know what that means? We have two years to decide whether to stay grounded in our vehicles or take the faster, albeit cooler (or scarier -- choose your adjective) mode of transportation. And, as a technological marvel that doesn't come with the price tag of "space travel" à la Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, air taxis could be within reach, price-wise, of those of us who don't operate billion dollar organizations.

I'm intrigued but, as someone who hates "puddle jumper" planes, I have to admit to having reservations, as opposed to being ready to make them. The hangar test-ride sounds cool to me, though, because it gives me a chance to allow my stomach to weigh in before I make a commitment. 

How about you? Are you ready to climb aboard, or up in the air about your desire to hop on?

No comments:

Post a Comment