Welcome to CAAM’s Comprehensive Guide to AAM. In this second chapter of our six-part guide, we’ll focus on eVTOLs.
So please fasten your seatbelts and return your tray table to its full upright and locked position; we’re ready to take off.
Chapter 2: What is an eVTOL?
eVTOL stands for electric vertical take-off and landing. Pretty straightforward, right?
An eVTOL is a kind of aircraft that takes off like a helicopter, going vertically to the air, rather than needing a runway to gain speed and take-off. And it does this vertical take-off using a battery (electric, hydrogen, or both) rather than fossil fuels.
eVTOLs are for aircraft what motorcycles are to cars: smaller, faster, and way more maneuverable.
Why are eVTOLs so important to AAM?
eVTOLs aircraft are a critical part of unlocking AAM, especially within cities.
The reason behind the tremendous importance lies in the name: vertical take-off and landing.
When talking about increasing mobility in cities, using vast areas isn’t the right path. Airports are essential, but they need too much space. On the other hand, you can install Vertiports—more on Chapter 5—on top of buildings.
To understand a little better, picture this: you can take off, fly, and land a small drone inside your house, but you need to go to a park to do the same with a remote-controlled airplane.
eVTOLs are hugely crucial to AAM because they offer speed, reliability, and maneuverability in small and tight spaces without requiring large sections of an area to build the infrastructure.
And because they’re electric, eVTOLs are cleaner and cheaper than the currently available options—that are still using fossil fuels. The electricity created cleanly and cheaply aligns with CAAM’s vision—but more on that in chapter 3.
What about the noise?
This chapter mentioned helicopters, motorcycles, and drones, and they all have one thing in common: they are loud!
You’re correct; they’re loud. But it’s important to remember that cars were also noisy, only recently have they become quieter. And there’s a reason for that: electric vehicles.
eVTOLs are already electric, so there’s no motor emitting a loud sound. And technology advances every day; an old fan is way louder than a new one. And remarkably high-tech fan blades are what propels eVTOLs; sooner than later, they’ll be as quiet as the flap of a bird’s wing.
Summarizing
An eVTOL is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Its size and maneuverability allow a flight mid-city, and the capacity of freely moving up and down makes the eVTOL the most powerful resource to the AAM future.
eVTOLs are also sustainable and zero-emission, making them a powerful resource for AAM’s future and the planet’s future.
What’s next
Chapter 3 of the Comprehensive Guide to AAM: What is CAAM?
See you!
By Giovani Izidorio Cesconetto
