The new
shape of the sky
A look at the development,
technology, and urban mobility
potential of electric air taxis
By Maura Keller,
EA Contributing Writer
The phrase “flying car” has long been shorthand for a future that never
quite arrived — the ultimate benchmark of technological progress, al-
ways seemingly 20 years away. However, a quiet revolution is currently
taking place in the skies above our cities. This shift is driven not by
the whims of science fiction but by the convergence of high-efficiency
electric motors, advanced battery chemistry, and a desperate need to
bypass urban gridlock.
These aircraft are known as electric vertical takeoff
and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs. To a casual observer,
they look like a cross between a traditional helicopter
and a giant consumer drone. To the engineers and
operators developing them, they represent the first
fundamental shift in aeronautical design since the
dawn of the jet age.
Redesigning access to the sky
“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads,”
says Evan Kawamura, an aerospace engineer, quoting
the movie “Back to the Future.” While the sentiment
is cinematic, the application is practical. eVTOLs are
roughly the size of a helicopter, but they replace the
single, massive, complex rotor with several smaller
propellers powered by electric motors and sophisti-
cated electronics. This distributed propulsion allows
them to lift off vertically from compact sites — such as
rooftops or parking garages — and then transition into
efficient wing-borne flight for the journey.
The excitement surrounding this technology is a
response to a looming crisis in urban mobility. As city
populations swell, traditional ground infrastructure
is reaching its breaking point. “As populations grow,
the number of vehicles on the road increases, and
cities begin to reach their limits,” Kawamura notes.
“That leads to more traffic and longer commute times.
This LIFT Aircraft HEXA electric eVTOL personal air vehicle was displayed on an
airport tarmac at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025 in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.
— Manoj Kumar Tuteja / Shutterstock photo
Feature | Electric Avenue
26 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026