A model of a Wisk Aero LLC electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the course of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.Â
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SINGAPORE — Amongst displays of defense jets, passenger airliners and high-tech aviation equipment on the Singapore Airshow were electric air transport vehicles — touted as the longer term of urban transportation.
Electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, which might land and take off vertically could be used as air taxis, for cargo delivery, medical and emergency response transportation and as private vehicles.
CNBC spoke to a few of the largest names backing eVTOLs on the airshow — Hyundai Motor Group-owned Supernal, Boeing-backed Wisk and Embraer-owned Eve Air Mobility, which seek to commercialize their vehicles by the top of this decade.
They highlighted air taxi services for short-distance travel over cities as one in all the primary potential uses of eVTOLs.
A vertical takeoff electronic aircraft from Supernal is seen outside the Las Vegas Convention Center in the course of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 10, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images
“So it’s just going to be one other option to travel as an alternative of just going from the airport to downtown and also you get stuck in your automotive for 2 hours … well, they’ll have another that might be fully electrical,” Johann Bordais, chief executive officer of Eve Air Mobility, told CNBC.
Eve is currently testing an air taxi prototype and goals to bring its concept to service by 2026.
“We will use similar infrastructure that helicopter operators currently have,” Supernal’s chief executive officer Jaiwon Shin told CNBC, noting that while the operations may start in urban areas, they are going to progressively spread to routes serving satellite cities as well.
“We’re open to all possible use cases because there is no such thing as a existing market on the market,” Shin said.
Supernal’s S-A2 eVTOL prototype, unveiled earlier this yr, which is designed to hold 4 passengers and a pilot, goals to hit the market by 2028.
Boeing-backed Wisk is currently working on its self-flying aircraft, with similar capabilities to that of Supernal.
German eVTOL developer Lilium, backed by Tencent, announced on the Singapore Airshow that it has launched a customer support organization for eVTOL industry with offerings equivalent to battery management, maintenance and flight support.
U.S. test case, eyes on Asia
Firms said they are going to seek regulatory in addition to safety certifications within the U.S. to kickstart eVTOL operations within the country.
Catherine MacGowan, vp of APAC and air operations at Wisk said the corporate goals to enter the U.S. by the top of this decade, noting that Wisk was also in talks with authorities in Brisbane, Australia to ascertain a network to operate eVTOLs.
“We’re looking to ascertain and advance the mobility network in Brisbane and the encircling cities ahead of the Olympic Games. In order that’s really exciting,” MacGowan said. Brisbane will host the 2032Â Olympics.
MacGowan said that Wisk has also partnered with Japan Airlines to develop operations in Japan as well other countries in Asia — a region that’s being viewed by the industry as a high-potential market.
Supernal’s Shin said the corporate would even be taking a look at expanding into South Korea, with the backing of auto giant Hyundai Motor Group.
South Korea’s biggest airline Korean Air had signed a cope with Supernal in October to construct and develop infrastructure vital for urban air commute and the commercialization of Supernal’s eVTOL vehicle in Korea.
Shin noted that Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s principal international airport, had also expressed interest in Supernal’s offerings.
A cabin of an electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developed by Eve Air mobility displayed in the course of the International Paris Air Show on June 20, 2023.Â
Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt | Afp | Getty Images
“The region sees many supportive regulators – in Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Latest Zealand,” said Alan Lim, a director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, while warning that Asia also has challenges including developing an ecosystem to support widespread eVTOL operations.
Supernal’s Shin said he expects the eVTOL market will look more just like the automotive industry and never just like the “industrial aviation industry, where Boeing and Airbus just about dominate the worldwide market.”
Alton Aviation’s Lim noted that given the big selection of designs and use cases for eVTOLs, no single form factor can dominate the market, unlike the industrial aviation space.
“As such, we agree that the industry will resemble more closely that of the automotive industry where there will likely be numerous large and small eVTOL manufacturers co-existing, some potentially finding area of interest areas and use cases for his or her vehicles.”Â
— CNBC’s Monica Pitrelli and Lin Lin contributed to this story.
