After analysing statements issued by companies actively developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Revolution Aero, which monitors the sector and organises an international conference for it (currently under way in San Francisco in the US), has reported that eVTOL companies have so far racked up more than 4 600 orders for their machines. eVTOL aircraft are electric- or hybrid-electric-powered small unconventional aircraft designs for use in what is now called the urban air mobility market, or, more colloquially, as flying taxis, flying handfuls of people within a city and not usually between cities.

“The global eVTOL market is estimated to be worth around $8.5-billion by 2025, and this is expected to grow to $30.8-billion by 2030,” highlighted Revolution Aero co-founder Alasdair Whyte. By definition, eVTOLs are low-carbon (hybrid) or zero-carbon (all-electric) emitting systems.

Of the orders secured to date, slightly more than 1 000 were won before 2021. In 2021, some 1 950 orders were placed, followed by 1 650 more so far this year. Geographically, more than 1 940 of these orders were placed by entities in the US, 1 000 by organisations in Canada, more than 600 orders came from Europe and more than 370 from Asia. So far, entities in 19 countries have ordered eVTOLs.

The three companies with the biggest order books so far are EVE, EHang and Vertical. EVE Air Mobility is a Brazilian company, a subsidiary of that country’s highly successful Embraer aerospace group; EVE currently has more than 1 250 orders. EHang AAV (for autonomous air vehicle), a Nasdaq-listed Chinese company, has more than 1 200 orders. Vertical Aerospace, a British company, has more than 500 orders.

Customers vary widely. Currently, the biggest source of eVTOL orders is airlines, which have ordered more than 1 200. Next are medical operators, with some 1 000 orders, then leasing companies (more than 700 orders) and helicopter operators (more than 500 orders). But orders have also been received from sectors as varied as car manufacturing, business aviation, seaplane operators and the package delivery sector.

“Our research shows strong growth in orders, but these are all with between 16 and 20 [original equipment manufacturers],” he pointed out. “Globally, there are over 400 different electric VTOL concepts from some 240-plus companies and innovators, so many are still waiting for their first orders. As the global economic environment worsens and investors become increasingly impatient for progress, we expect to see more eVTOL concepts close as they struggle to turn their vision into reality.”