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There have been tons of technological advances over the past couple of decades that have impacted the lives of countless people around the world. One thing that we were promised, however, has yet to materialize: flying taxis.
For decades, we have been told that the future involves flying taxis to make getting around easier. No more gridlock, shorter commutes, we can’t wait!
Heck, in April of 2019, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk all but promised that he would have one million robotaxis on the roads of America by the end of 2020. That didn’t happen. It didn’t even come close to happening.
Now, in 2025, a report by New Scientist once again dangles the carrot of flying taxis in front of our faces.
“Flying taxis may finally arrive this year, thanks to the development of a new breed of electric aircraft that are much quieter than helicopters – and potentially greener as well,” technology reporter Jeremy Hsu writes.
Sure. In 2018, Aston Martin announced that it had designed a flying car called the Volante Vision Concept, an autonomous hybrid-electric vehicle that’s basically a luxury flying taxi. How many of those do we see flying around seven years later?
“2025 should be the year where the eVTOL aircraft first start flying and carrying passengers and demonstrating what they actually can do,” Mike Hirschberg at the Vertical Flight Society, told New Scientist.
eVTOL stands for electric vertical take-off and landing. They use multiple propellers that can rotate to life the taxi then tilt down to travel forward.
According to air taxi company Joby Aviation, they will be starting service in Dubai as soon as late 2025, followed by service in New York City and Los Angeles. EHang, a Chinese air taxi company, also promises to start commercial passenger services this year.
“The whole business plan for these aircraft is to provide a compelling transportation service for the public,” said Hirschberg. “It’s not ‘we just want to have a rich-person shuttle so they can fly over traffic and thumb their noses at the proletariat.’”