You’ve probably seen self-driving cars being tested and trialled in various cities around the world, and it likely won’t be much longer until vehicles like these become commonplace. But did you know that there’s another new mode of transport on the scene?
Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – or eVTOLs – are battery powered air vehicles that are set to revolutionise the aviation industry as a safer, quieter and more efficient alternative to helicopters and planes.
What are eVTOLs?
With a similar design to helicopters, eVTOLs are a type of electric airborne transport that can take off and land vertically, and have propellers or rotors to hover and fly. However, the key difference that sets eVTOLs apart from traditional helicopters (or VTOLs) is that they are powered by batteries rather than jet fuel.
These craft are typically designed to carry a pilot and 2-6 passengers, with the goal that they can be used as flying taxis. Longer term plans for eVTOLs are that they will be operated remotely, and eventually piloted completely autonomously.
Common Types of eVTOLs:
- Multicopters – Operate like standard drones and are efficient during takeoff, hovering and landing. Inefficient at flying long distances and are therefore generally limited to urban areas.
- Lift & Cruise – Merges the multicopter concept with more common aircraft technology, making long distances easier. But having less propellers makes them noisier.
- Tilt Rota – Rotas mounted on the ends of the wings make them efficient long range flights with low noise, but unable to carry as much weight as multicopter or lift & cruise types.
- Ducted Vector Thrust – Use individually controlled electrical ducted fans to push the vehicle upwards, instead of relying on propellers. This makes them very efficient at flying and quieter than other types, but hovering with fans requires 2x the power of propellers/rotors.
What are the benefits of eVTOLs?
Less Noise
eVTOLs use wing-borne lift for forward flight, which means that once they reach a certain velocity, the lift pulls their aircraft forward. The speed of the rotors is also a lot slower compared to helicopters, and both of these factors combined reduce the overall noise emitted by the craft. While helicopters are almost always audible, the design of eVTOLs means that they should be essentially inaudible over general city noise.
More Environmentally Friendly
The level of emissions produced by an eVTOL depends on the energy sources that are used to charge its battery, as the aircraft itself produces no emissions. So, an eVTOL battery charged via conventional sources of electricity may still produce emissions and greenhouse gas by-products, whereas a solar or wind powered battery could be completely emissions-free.
However, any pollution created by these vehicles would still be greatly lower than those caused by helicopters or even regular cars that still rely on fossil fuels. This in turn would also improve air quality, which is especially crucial in cities.
Time & Cost-Effective
As eVTOLs are still a relatively new technology with a lot of testing and pilot training still necessary, they won’t be accessible or affordable to the average consumer for some time yet. But in the long-term, electric aircraft are likely to be far more cost-effective than helicopters, which can only be used as private air taxis by the wealthy. This is because eVTOLs have more failsafes in place to keep passengers safer, and safer vehicles are less costly to maintain.
eVTOLs also have the potential to save travellers time. In a city with heavy road congestion, you could sit in a taxi for an hour to only go 10 miles down the road. However, a few years from now you could get in a flying taxi and get there within 10 minutes.
Components for eVTOLs
Metal Push Buttons
Our LED illuminated anti-vandal switches are hard-wearing, IP rated and available in a range of sizes and finishes. Their simple & reliable function makes them a great choice for eVTOL control panels.
Multi-Key Switches
We have a range of programmable modules, with up to 9 keys in one switch. This multifunctional design is well-suited to controlling multiple elements within a vehicle or device.
Rotary Switches
With multiple positions, rotary switches are a common choice for systems that require more precise control; such as internal climate controls, or selecting lighting/power modes.
Joystick Style Switches
With a central tactile button and a multi-directional joystick function, these navigation switches are another great choice for controlling movement/direction in an eVTOL.
PCB Push Buttons
Add multiple of our small PCB push buttons to one panel for simple on/off control of multiple functions at once. Available with custom caps and LED illumination to suit a wide array of uses.
LED Indicators
As the name suggests, our metal LED indicators provide clear indication on the status of various systems within a vehicle or aircraft, with clear visibility even in dark or adverse conditions.
Conclusion
As we have mentioned, there is still a lot of trialling and training that needs to be completed before eVTOLs become a common sight, but it may only be a few more years before we’re standing on a helipad and calling a flying taxi to get across town. With improvements to noise pollution, air quality, emissions and safety, vehicles like eVTOLs are sure to be the future of how we travel!
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