In news– The Union Civil Aviation Minister recently has said that the Government of India is exploring the possibility of inviting manufacturers of Electric Vertical Take off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to set up bases in India.
About eVTOL aircraft-
- eVTOL aircraft is one that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically.
- Most eVTOLs also use what is called as distributed electric propulsion technology which means integrating a complex propulsion system with the airframe.
- There are multiple motors for various functions – to increase efficiency and to also ensure safety.
- This is technology that has grown on account of successes in electric propulsion based on progress in motor, battery, fuel cell and electronic controller technologies and also fuelled by the need for new vehicle technology that ensures urban air mobility (UAM).
- It opens up new possibilities which aircraft with engines cannot carry out in areas such as manoeuvrability, efficiency and even from the environmental point of view.
- eVTOLs have been likened to “a third wave in an aerial revolution”; the first being the advent of commercial flying, and the second, the age of helicopters.
- There is general agreement that the eVTOL world is moving forward based on the spark provided by NASA researcher Mark D. Moore who came up with the concept of a personal (one man) air vehicle while working towards his doctorate.
- The global market for eVTOLs was put at $8.5 million in 2021 and is to grow to $30.8 million by 2030.
Source: The Hindu
