[Red Badger]

What could possibly go wrong?........................

[lowbridge]

“Batteries are the biggest technical challenge for electric air mobility, accounting for up to 40% of an eVTOL craft’s weight. “That’s really the killer,” Shin said.

“From the operation side, we don’t have air traffic management systems to govern these vehicles,” he said. “Up until this point, even the foreseeable future, we don’t have man-made objects flying routinely below 500 meters.”

But you’re building a factory anyways.

[billorites]

F=MA

[EvilCapitalist]

Only example I can think of is the flying Taxi from the movie “The Fifth Element.” I don’t think I’d feel comfortable trying it.

[butlerweave]

Flaming Taxis dropping on our heads , Great

[butlerweave]

This stuff is easy in Sci-Fi movies ,LOL

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“[Batteries are] really the KILLER,” Shin said.

SNORT!! Way to express yourself, Mr. Shin! Couldn't have said it better myself.

[catnipman]

NOT a Babylon Bee headline; i repeat: NOT a Babylon Bee headline ...

[Fresh Wind]

The military has flying tankers to “recharge” fighters, so why not flying batteries to recharge flying electric taxis?

[moovova]

Ok, I’m in.

[shoff]

I wonder if they will be as easy to steal as their autos?

[moovova]

[political1]

Can you imagine Manhattan streets with no taxis. Flying taxis would free up the streets for regular traffic. Sensors to detect walls, and GPS to find destinations.

[threefinger]

I’m not defending the concept (an all-electric aircraft at this juncture is still several bridges too far) but electric motors do add a lot of flexibility to the concept. Redundancy is easier, especially with the lift-producing motors. Several small electric motors vs fewer ICE engines improves the odds of a controlled landing if things go pear-shaped. Pairing up contra-rotating engines also helps at cancelling out torques the motors apply to the airframe (unbalanced torques being one reason helicopters are notoriously ‘quirky’ to fly).

And in tilt-rotor applications, electric motors drastically reduce the complexity compared to ICE designs.

But Supernal CFO Michael Whitaker is lying out his ass when he claims they’re “zero emissions:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuQdKWqPos

Then again, that’s the foundational lie of the battery-only EV. Zero emissions.