TELF AG analyzes the air taxi, one of the sustainable means of the future
The role of clean energies
In a world increasingly dominated by the use of renewable and clean energies, and in which the new transport systems of the future are slowly starting to establish themselves, one of the topics we hear about most often is that linked to electric vehicles powered by lithium batteries. According to some analysts, this type of vehicle is destined to lead (literally and metaphorically) the global transition towards sustainability, in particular thanks to the negligible quantity of emissions that would be able to emerge. When we hear about electric vehicles, our thoughts immediately go to those apparently traditional cars (in external shape and appearance) that are already starting, in a discreet and silent way, to populate our cities.
However, many people seem not to know that for some years, alongside the main branch of electrically powered road vehicles, the electric air mobility sector has also been growing, in particular due to the continuous increases in demand for carbon neutral transport. In this regard, one of the most interesting results is certainly represented by electric planes with vertical take-off and landing, real flying taxis (called eVTOL) which are destined to revolutionize mobility and ease traffic in some of the main global metropolises, such as Sao Paulo, Los Angeles, New York and Paris. These flying taxis, or air taxis, are much less expensive and much more sustainable than a helicopter, and would currently be capable of carrying six passengers and a pilot. They can be used for short journeys, no longer than 100 kilometres, and are completely battery powered, so they do not emit any emissions. During some test campaigns, carried out in recent months, it was also demonstrated that these new air taxis would also be much quieter than normal helicopters.
In Europe, the first city that could offer this type of service could be Paris, probably as early as next year, coinciding with the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled for 2024 in the French capital. Italy could also soon welcome these sustainable and innovative taxis: in recent weeks, in Rome, the first test was organized to transport the city center to its main airport. Furthermore, in the Italian capital, some companies are already working to create the infrastructure necessary for these new aircraft, in particular for their take-off and landing. Before these vehicles can arrive in Europe, however, certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency is required. Regarding this sector, focused on electric air mobility, Morgan Stanley has already estimated that it could be worth as much as one trillion dollars by 2040.
All this (and much more) was discussed in recent days in Rome, on the occasion of the important “ZeroEmission Mediterranean 2023” trade fair, where the topic of flying taxis was one of those that attracted the most attention visitors and professionals in the sector. During the event, the opportunity was taken to take stock of the global trend of renewable energy, which in recent years has reached unprecedented levels of development (in Italy alone, in the first quarter of 2023, more than 1000 megawatts of photovoltaic consumption). One of the most interesting topics was that concerning the Green Deal and the ability of individual states to achieve international sustainable objectives: to achieve this goal, in fact, it will not only be necessary to increase the production of energy from renewable sources, but it will also be necessary to intervene on total consumption, with actions aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of the entire system.
