Electric Aviation: The Next Chapter in Freedom

June 21, 2023
David Clark

Future of aviation with electric aircraft

In "Electric Aviation: The Next Chapter in Freedom," David Clark explores the transformative potential of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) technology in revolutionizing mobility and enhancing personal freedom. He emphasizes the importance of safeguarding freedom of movement, which has been challenged in recent years.

Historical Context and Innovation

Clark traces the historical significance of mobility advancements, from the invention of the wheel to airplanes, highlighting how eVTOL technology represents the next major leap. eVTOLs offer vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, bypassing traditional infrastructure limitations and providing unprecedented freedom of movement.

Economic and Environmental Impact

eVTOLs can reduce emissions, noise pollution, and operational costs compared to traditional aircraft. They offer diverse applications, from package delivery and aerial surveying to emergency services and passenger transport. This technology can unlock new markets, stimulate economic growth, and provide accessibility to remote areas.

Challenges and Solutions

Key challenges include stringent certification tests, battery weight limitations, infrastructure needs, and public acceptance. Clark stresses the importance of developing confidence and trust in eVTOL technology through safety measures and regulatory standards.

Urban Planning and Social Benefits

eVTOLs could reshape urban landscapes by reducing congestion and integrating vertical infrastructure like ‘vertiports.’ This would improve transportation efficiency and enhance quality of life. The technology also promises greater transportation equity, enabling access to jobs, healthcare, and services in underserved communities.

Investment Opportunities

The eVTOL industry presents significant investment opportunities. Companies like Joby, Lilium, and Eve are leading the development of eVTOL aircraft, while platforms like Fundrise and RealtyShares provide alternative financing options.

Conclusion

eVTOL technology represents a new frontier in personal mobility, aligning with the Financial Policy Council’s (FPC) mission to promote liberty, economic growth, and innovation. Embracing this technology can enhance freedom and equality, ensuring that mobility advancements benefit all.

For more information, visit Financial Policy Council.

Freedom of speech and freedom of movement are two sides of the same coin. However, one is worthless without the other. The past three years have shown us a loss of both freedoms at once- both the ability to speak freely and also move around unhindered. We have just experienced how fragile liberty really is and how it must be protected at all costs.

Throughout history, personal liberty and freedom of movement have been deeply rooted values which have been key drivers of progress and development. From the development of the wheel to the invention of the automobile and then the airplane, humans have been constantly seeking ways to expand their mobility and explore new territories. Today, the development of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) technology promises to be the next transformative change in mobility, offering unprecedented freedom to individuals and societies alike. Its transformative effects cannot be understated.

Beyond the Horizon: The Untapped Potential of Electric Aviation

At its core, personal liberty includes the ability to move about freely and explore new places, without the limitations imposed by geography, infrastructure, or arbitrary government restrictions. Traditional transportation methods, such as cars and planes, have been instrumental in expanding our ability to move about, but they are not without their limitations. Cars are subject to traffic congestion and infrastructure limitations, while planes are restricted to airports and runways. Private aviation affords random access travel but is cost prohibitive for many. eVTOL technology promises to overcome many of these limitations, offering a new level of freedom of movement that has the potential to transform the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us on short segments and short-notice demand.

Like any untapped technology in its infancy, it is hard to fully grasp the way this will shape our world but we already see great potential in package delivery, aerial surveying, search and rescue, real estate marketing, pharmacy medication delivery and integrated passenger transportation on apps like Uber and Lyft. Many of these functions are currently being accomplished through other means that are more costly and have detrimental effects on the environment, but electric aviation allows all of these and other functions to occur at much lower cost with no direct harm on the environment. While this is not an exhaustive list of applications, it begins to give us a sense of just how valuable a tool this already is. It will unlock new industries and accelerate existing ones – thus its transformative nature on a whole host of economic sectors.

eVTOL: Just What is It

eVTOL is a type of electric- or hybrid-powered aircraft that is designed to take off and land vertically, without the need for a runway or airport. Unlike helicopters that have many moving parts and rely on fossil fuels to power them, these new kinds of aircraft are powered by powerful electric motors, which offer a number of advantages over traditional gasoline and jet-fueled engines. This includes reduced emissions, lower noise levels, and lower maintenance costs. With eVTOL aircraft, individuals can bypass traditional infrastructure limitations and move easily through the air, offering a new level of freedom of movement that has never been seen before. Think of eVTOL as AI for transportation – that is the level of transformative power that we are going to witness in the coming years.

The Transformative Nature of eVTOL

The potential benefits of eVTOL technology are vast, touching on economic, social, environmental and even urban-planning concerns. From an economic perspective, eVTOL has the potential to unlock new markets and create new opportunities for growth and innovation. For example, eVTOL aircraft will be used to transport goods and people to areas with limited infrastructure, such as rural or remote regions. From search & rescue missions to delivering time-sensitive medications or antidotes to hard-to-reach places, this low-cost delivery method will soon become the norm, providing coverage in areas once not possible due to geographic limitations like mountainous terrain or lack of roads. This will lead to increased economic growth and development in these areas, as businesses and individuals gain access to new markets and opportunities.

From a social perspective, eVTOL technology has the potential to offer greater accessibility and equity in transportation. Currently, transportation options are often limited for individuals in certain areas, such as low-income communities or areas with limited public transportation options. eVTOL aircraft will provide a new level of mobility to these communities, allowing individuals to access jobs, healthcare, entertainment and other services more easily. Additionally, eVTOL technology will be used to provide emergency services in areas with limited access, such as disaster zones or remote areas.

From an environmental perspective, eVTOL vehicles have the potential to significantly reduce emissions and thus improve air quality. Electric motors produce zero emissions versus traditional fossil-fueled engines, so eVTOL aircraft have the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of transportation. Additionally, the reduced sound levels of eVTOL aircraft will lessen noise pollution, which can have negative impacts on human health and well-being.

One understated aspect of widespread eVTOL adoption is the influence it could have on the layout of our cities. With eVTOLs, transportation wouldn’t be limited to existing roads and highways. Instead, vertical infrastructure, such as ‘vertiports,’ needs to be incorporated into urban planning. This will revolutionize the way we design our cities, potentially reducing congestion, improving transportation efficiency, and making our cities more adaptable for future technologies. Reduced travel time will free up time for families to spend more together, as well provide time for any number of other activities which would improve the quality of life for people.

Navigating the Headwinds: Challenges in the eVTOL Industry

But nothing comes without challenges and eVTOL is no exception. Tough certification tests lie ahead for manufacturers like Joby, Lyte, Lilium and Eve. The FAA is just now releasing training requirements for pilots of eVTOL aircraft. Just last month, EASA (the European Aviation Agency) announced a call for new standards to govern noise emissions for eVTOL aircraft, even though they are significantly quieter than helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

The largest technical barriers are the amount of weight able to be carried and useful life of batteries. Infrastructure is also an issue as shopping malls, airports and office buildings need to be modified to receive pickup and drop-off of people and packages. In addition, there is the issue of public acceptance. The stakes are too large for a “build it and they will come” mentality – confidence and trust must be developed in order to allow widespread adoption of a new mode of transportation.

Safety and security concerns are other challenges facing the development of eVTOL aircraft. As these aircraft will be operating in the same airspace as traditional aircraft, it will be important that they are safely integrated into FAA airspace and do not pose a risk to public safety.

Clearing the Air: Solutions for eVTOL Adoption

Markets will at times respond to consumer demand and at times will offer new alternatives that, based upon market research, drive demand and lead to widespread adoption. Already we have seen the global acceptance of ride-share apps that were unheard of just ten years ago. Prior to Uber and Lyft, it never occurred to us that via an app, anywhere in the world, we could order cost effective, transparent transportation with payment data, driver profile, vehicle type and real time mapping capabilities-all displayed on one screen in the palm of our hand in real time.

This will soon become just another way to move from point A to Point B, many times with a combination of a ground-based vehicle to an eVTOL skyport, then a short hop on an electric air vehicle to the destination. Think Newark to JFK in 15 minutes. Think Brickell to South Beach in 4 minutes. Or living 20 minutes on a hobby farm outside of a metro area and having medications delivered from Walgreens within an hour of ordering a refill– all integrated on your phone app into one solution. Order, payment, delivery – all seamlessly woven together into a once only-dreamed-of solution.

The intersection of real-time data, public acceptance, technical capabilities and cost-effectiveness has led us to this point in history where we are witnessing an electric aviation revolution. All of this leads back to the underlying premise of aviation, particularly private aviation: freedom of mobility. The ability to go where you want, when you want is really the pinnacle of liberty.

At the same time, it is a direct threat to autocratic and anti-democratic regimes who wish to limit the ability of its population to move around at will, for any number of reasons. Having the ability to choose where to go, on your terms, is fundamentally one of the ways in which it means to be free. It is critical that we always be on guard for efforts by governments or big corporations to stimy speech, expression and freedom of mobility – no matter what the justification.

New Investment Opportunities: The Monetization of eVTOL

Like any new industry, eVTOL is powered by financial investment. By looking at this new segment through what NEXA Advisors categorizes as the UBV framework (utilization strategies yielding benefits which deliver value), it becomes clear why Morgan Stanley Research estimates an addressable market for autonomous vehicles at $1.5 Trillion dollars by 2040. Already there are private equity groups specializing in eVTOL (UP Partners www.up.partners), websites specific to this industry (www.evtol.news), conferences (www.revolution.aero) and multiple LinkedIn groups to inform you on investment opportunities. Manufacturers like Lyte Aviation (www.lyteaviation.com) are working on a family of 40-seat passenger and cargo eVTOL aircraft while Skyportz (www.skyportz.com) is developing landing facilities integrated into shopping centers, corporate headquarters and business complexes to provide seamless connection with ground based vehicles. Finally, legacy companies like Rolls-Royce are pivoting to electric motors and power systems to give the propulsion necessary to move a host of vehicles through the air (www.rolls-royce.com/products-and-services/electrical.aspx).

The Financial Policy Council and eVTOL

It is for this reason that the Financial Policy Council (FPC) exists – to promote liberty, economic growth and wealth creation as a reflection of the American way of life and the aspirations of our Founding Fathers. This plays itself out in three distinct ways: Freedom, Equality and Independence.

Freedom: The advent of eVTOL technology represents a new frontier of freedom in transportation, opening the skies to all. The FPC’s dedication to fostering innovation and economic prosperity is paving the way for this transformative technology, unlocking a new dimension of freedom for American citizens.

Equality: The widespread adoption of eVTOL aircraft will herald a new era of transportation equality, breaking down geographical barriers and providing access to remote areas. This aligns with the FPC’s mission to promote economic growth and wealth creation for all, ensuring that every American, regardless of location, racial or economic status, has the opportunity to benefit from this technological revolution.

Independence: Electric aviation will empower individuals with an unprecedented level of independence in their personal transportation and freedom of mobility. The FPC’s commitment to promoting innovation and financial prosperity is crucial in fostering such independence, reinforcing the American spirit of self-reliance and progress.

While these very things are under attack in our country today, they must be protected at all costs – because once we lose our freedoms, they are very difficult to get back. We must always safeguard the American spirit of progress and innovation, and the transformative nature of electric aviation is a reflection of that.

eVTOL is more than just a new way to get around – it is the latest chapter in the evolution of personal mobility that literally lives out the freedoms envisioned by our Founding Founders. Whether you are an early adopter, an active investor or eventual user of electric aviation, one thing is certain: eVTOL is here to stay and will only grow as the widespread effects are felt in our 21st century economy.

So, are you interested in the future of eVTOLs? What are your thoughts on the potential of this new technology and do you believe this technology will affect our lives in transformative ways?

Leave your comments below or contact me with an Inbox message to continue this conversation or connect you to resources.

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