According to a Honeywell survey, the overwhelming majority of U.S. frequent fliers would take an electric air taxi. The survey, reported in the Robb Report online news service, is seen as a significant boost to the electric vertical takeoff and land (eVTOL) industry.
Ben&Jerry’s recent survey among 6 year olds found they want more ice cream.
Hmm, saying that 98% “would consider” taking an air taxi is not the same as saying they definitely would.
Up to 98% of frequent fliers would take an air taxi (until they see the cost of a ticket).
Hmm, saying that 98% “would consider” taking an air taxi is not the same as saying they definitely would.
Nothing is rarely definite, but I think that the most frequent of fliers would be in that niche market who would buy the tickets.
For a bit if context: 58% of the overall respondents would consider it; 67% of those who flew 10 times or more per year. I didn’t see where the cutoff was for 98%, but those folks must spend a lot of time on the road.
eVTOLs might be useful, but people, whether they fly often or not, won’t use them unless they trust they’re safe, affordable, and practical. Trust is still a big question mark. To me, this survey looks more like a sales pitch than a real measure of public opinion.
Not surprisingly, safety and economics were strong concerns among the respondents.
Soft counterpoint! So the real question is, does any of this actually hold water, or is the survey just BS?
I think the survey is valid, but you have to be careful in how you use the data. Honeywell is a stakeholder here - they have a serious desire/need for accurate data. And they are most interested in analyzing whether that x% can/will be a sufficient market, and just where x% falls in the first place.
But BS on the subhead that highlights the 98% figure without providing the overall percentage that they represented.
I’d certainly consider it. The competition for me is Uber. It’s $50-$60 each way to get me and the misses from home to KATL. If the air taxi can get the two of us there for a competitive price I’m in. It will be interesting to see if they’re allowed to land in the street to pick us up. I suspect not, and I suspect their estimates of production costs, related infrastructure costs, and operational costs are wildly optimistic. At $200 per head each way it’s a non starter. As we’ve seen before, the cost will be too high, the market too small, and the effort doomed. Ground transportation for short trips will always be much more efficient.
Opinion survey’s are one thing; bankruptcy filings are another.
I doubt if the Honeywell board of directors will actually pounce on this survey considering the financial realities experienced recently by others in this field.
My three-person family uses the ground transport Waymo to get to a downtown baseball game, PHX and a few random destinations. We love it, but it still doesn’t make any profit after several years, despite huge loads of capital invested daily from big pants Google. A 5-6 mile ride averages 15-20 bucks.
Once you take a ride in one, however, any fears for safety go out the rolled-up window, somehow. Like riding in the eye of a traffic hurricane, you become convinced technology should command human activity 
So I just can’t see a long-term profit coming from an air taxi considering insurance, weather, accidents, etc. Surveys are a slice in time, not too relevant to me for long-term success.
Agree. Given recent eVTOL bankruptcies (Lilium, Volocopter, Rolls-Royce’s exit), public acceptance likely dropped below 40% near-term. Honeywell’s 98% claim is even less credible, as viability now outweighs perception. Ultimately, the public may still be open to eVTOLs, but only if companies survive long enough to deliver safe, affordable, and proven services. Right now, financial instability is the bigger hurdle than consumer hesitancy.
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