eVTOLs are part of a “new era of co-existence” in mobility

With transport contributing an estimated 23% of global CO2 emissions annually, decarbonising the sector is an important part of climate change prevention. The International Transport Forum warns that a lack of action in the 2020s could result in this share rising to 40% by 2030. This is according to statistical trends over the last 50 years, which indicate that transport-related emissions increase faster than any other sector.

However, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand for mobility solutions has risen practically year-on-year for decades. The includes passenger road vehicles, road freight, and aviation. The first major dip—March 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic— was called “unprecedented.” This demand has also gone hand in hand with high levels of congestion in cities all over the world. Consumer tech company TomTom noted a drop from 2019’s levels caused by the pandemic in 2020, but as of 2021, levels were steadily returning.

Unprecedented events like COVID-19 aside, the demand for transportation is unlikely to trend downwards in the future. Therefore, the industry must square lower emissions and less congestion with increasing customer demand. What’s needed are solutions that can address all three issues simultaneously. As mobility redefines itself for a new era, one such innovation—electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—could have an important role to play.