The deal includes the purchase of 200 electric air taxis, referred to officially as eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle). Designed to lift and land vertically on rooftops and landing pads on the ground, these eVTOLs are expected to “revolutionize the commuter experience in cities around the world.”
Eve’s eVTOLS look like the Tesla of helicopters: stylish, quiet, and most importantly, all-electric. Each comfortably spacious cabin houses four passengers, who sit behind a sleek cockpit surrounded by glass. The aircraft are operated through an advanced fly-by-wire system that effectively replaces analog flight controls with an electronic interface. Though Eve’s eVTOLS can be fully piloted (and likely will be under United’s operation, at least at first), the startup’s website claims the aircraft are “ready for autonomous flight.”
(Rendering: Eve Air Mobility)
United expects to begin receiving eVTOL deliveries in 2026. But even then, it might be a while before travelers can use the aircraft for leisurely city-hopping or a regular commute. Eve and other eVTOL startups, like Joby, Archer, and Vertical Aerospace, have failed to receive sufficient clearance from federal aviation regulators for passenger travel. Though some, like Joby, have received air carrier certificates, they’re still waiting on full Federal Aviation Administration certification before they can carry passengers. (This might be why United called the deal a “conditional purchase agreement” in its press release.)
United appears to be relatively confident that eVTOLs will someday achieve full FAA certification. The airline recently invested $10 million in Archer with the goal of someday transporting travelers via electric air taxi. This was under the condition that Archer’s eVTOLs (which are very similar to Eve’s, with their four-passenger capacity and a 60-mile range) be ready for full operation by the end of 2024. At the same time, the FAA has been busy figuring out how it wants to address eVTOL certification—meaning the rules might change at any time.
It’s likely that United is investing millions in eVTOL startups in an effort to meet its goal of being carbon neutral without the use of traditional offsets by 2050. That being said, eVTOL travel won’t be able to truly replace conventional air travel until the new tech’s single-charge range bumps up significantly. Even quick trips from Los Angeles to San Diego, from Phoenix to Tucson, or from New York City to Albany require a minimum 100-mile range. Skipping traffic in each of these major cities, however…now that’s a different story.
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