Life-cycle analysis of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles

Khashayar Khavarian and Kara M. Kockelman

Transportation Planning and Technology, 2024, vol. 47, issue 8, 1227-1242

Abstract: One way to avoid ground congestion is to take to the sky, using vertical take-off and landing craft or ‘VTOL’. This study examines opportunities, costs, and energy impacts for an eVTOL (electric VTOL) system across the Austin, Texas region. Using different demand levels and VTOL sizes (4 and 8 seaters), we estimate average minimum costs of $24.84 per person-trip and $0.98 per person-kilometer using 4-seaters, which is less than current ride-hailing costs in U.S. cities. However, ride-hailing is door-to-door, while eVTOLs rely on stations, with non-negligible access and egress costs. We find 4-seaters offer higher energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, based on the Texas power grid’s current feedstocks, with eVTOL GHG emissions similar to those of all-electric cars, in operation: about 70 grams per passenger-kilometer. But an eVTOL’s lifetime emissions are estimated to be twice those of electric cars (per passenger-kilometer traveled).

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/03081060.2023.2217163

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