Regulatory certification pending, vertical and take-off landing vehicle eVTOL promises lower emissions and reduced costs, eyeing competition with helicopters

08/06/2024

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Vertical take-off and landing vehicles—eVTOLs, also known as flying cars—attracted 830 orders — Foto: Divulgação

Currently undergoing certification with regulatory agencies, the future vertical take-off and landing vehicles—eVTOLs, also known as flying cars—attracted 830 orders from eight commercial aviation and air taxi companies in Brazil. Executives in this emerging sector are preparing to compete with helicopter transportation, promising reduced pollutant emissions, safety, and lower costs. However, specialists are monitoring several factors that could influence the development of this new market: how the National Agency of Civil Aviation (ANAC) will regulate the segment, for instance, regarding the construction of landing and take-off sites, known as vertiports, and the potential delay in consumer adoption of this new type of vehicle.

In a statement, ANAC highlights the importance of fundamental safety, design, technology, and accessibility requirements for users and aircraft, considering the need for integration into city structures and urban mobility, connecting eVTOLs with other modes of transportation, services, and public facilities. All of this generates social, economic, and environmental benefits, the agency said. “This necessity directed the agency to implement the regulatory sandbox currently underway.”

This process has not deterred interested parties. Of the total 830 orders reported in Brazil, 57% were placed by airlines Gol and Azul. There are also startups created specifically to explore this potential market.

One of them is VertiMob Infrastructure, which anticipates significant interest from high-income individuals who use air taxi services. According to data from the Brazilian Association of General Aviation (ABAG), São Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet in the world, with 420 aircraft in operation, followed by New York and Tokyo. Brazil has about 2,000 helicopters.

On another front, based on forecasts from international consulting firms, the company also projects that the cost of travel with flying cars will gradually decrease, potentially generating demand among higher-income individuals within the upper middle class. For example, VertiMob CEO Bruno Limoeiro noted that the 15-minute flight from São Paulo’s financial center, known as Faria Lima, to Guarulhos Airport can cost R$2,500 per seat for an executive in a helicopter. In an eVTOL, he said, the cost should range from R$500 to R$1,000 per seat on this route.

“If this trip costs R$1,000 at the start, that’s very good, with a 60% reduction,” Mr. Limoeiro said, acknowledging that the flying car will not be part of most people’s daily lives. The target audience will likely use the service in exceptional situations, such as risking missing an international flight, traveling to nearby cities in an emergency, or sightseeing with panoramic flights.

Marcus Quintella, head of the FGV transportation study center, believes the future mode will have to undergo stricter demand tests, which may yield different results than the company expects, depending on how the service is regulated and the level of acceptance. There may be consumer distrust related to safety, at least initially. “Even with helicopters, many people who have money decide not to fly,” he said, referring to the fear of accidents.

Alessandra Abrão, CEO and partner of Voar Aviação, which has already ordered 70 eVTOL units, argues that they are being developed to the highest safety certification standards by manufacturers and international regulatory agencies. “These vehicles are designed with advanced technologies that include multiple redundant systems, such as batteries and engines, to ensure safety in case of failures,” she said.

For Mr. Quintella, with FGV Transportes, if there are too many restrictions on coexisting with other aircraft, the supply of flights may not be as large. He draws attention to the licensing criteria for the vertiports themselves. “The travel time to the take-off area should be short, and these points should be distributed throughout the city. This broad base is essential for it to be competitive,” the expert said.

VertiMob, created in the first semester, plans to install and operate the first “vertiport” in Latin America. The initiative is conducted in partnership with São José dos Campos Airport, whose technical proposal will be analyzed by ANAC. The agency is seeking interested parties to implement a vertiport, within the “regulatory sandbox” model whose registrations are open until October.

According to ANAC, this sandbox model allows for the development of new technologies in an evaluation environment by the regulatory authority. “Thus, it is a preliminary stage for future normative production and, consequently, the inclusion of the topic in the regulatory agenda. Meanwhile, ANAC can monitor the evolution and assess the effectiveness and safety level guaranteed by the innovative technique proposed by eVTOL technology.”

Contacted, Gol reported that it has partnered with the Irish leasing company Avolon and the British eVTOL manufacturer Vertical Aerospace to “study the ecosystem that will enable this new mode,” which is “promising.” It said that the prototype of Vertical’s VX4 is “in the test flight phase on its certification journey,” with the “highest safety criteria,” which will extend until 2026. “In the meantime, all other participants in this ecosystem—infrastructure, airspace control, energy providers, regulatory agencies, and companies—must work collaboratively for the success of eVTOLs,” which are important for the “potential expansion of the air network.”

Azul reported that the partnership with the German company Lilium, involved in eVTOL research, will help achieve the carbon neutrality goal by 2045. Emphasizing that it is one of the first companies to support the new aircraft project, it reported that it is “awaiting the regulatory part, which still needs to be defined, in addition to working on planning, support, and studies of bases and infrastructure to determine how the operation will be.” It added that eVTOLs are for “short and medium-distance routes, which would help complement the air network, operating in places where conventional aircraft cannot.”

Asked about its strategy, Latam declined to comment.

*Por Rafael Bitencourt — Brasília

Source: Valor International

https://valorinternational.globo.com/