How Much Will It Cost to Fly on eVTOL Air Taxis?

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are years away from entering service, but the discussion is already under way about passenger prices.

Thom Patterson

Friday, October 22, 2021 at 12:32 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Despite optimistic projections by eVTOL companies for passenger fares ($2.25-$11 per mile), experts are skeptical, anticipating actual costs will be much higher, comparable to premium services like black car livery or helicopter rides.
Several factors will influence final passenger prices, including the necessity for "end-to-end" pricing that accounts for ground transportation, the financial viability of on-demand rideshare models requiring extremely high aircraft utilization, and the costs associated with building vertiport infrastructure.
The eVTOL industry faces immense hurdles in simultaneously developing aircraft, manufacturing, and airline operations, with some analysts predicting many bankruptcies before the technology matures, potentially appealing primarily to high-end users initially.
Hidden costs such as specialized pilot training for eVTOLs and potential pilot shortages could further inflate operational expenses, making widespread affordability a significant challenge for future air taxi services.

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Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis are years from being commercially available, but that’s not keeping people from asking: How much will passengers be asked to pay to fly on these new aircraft?

Altogether, investors have been betting billions of dollars on eVTOL companies like Joby Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter and others that are promising to build an entirely new form of convenient, safe, and environmentally friendly urban transportation.