Role of flying cars in sustainable mobility

TLDR

Interest and investment in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or flying cars, have risen sharply, yet their sustainability implications remain unclear. The study reports a physics‑based analysis of primary energy and greenhouse‑gas emissions of VTOLs compared to ground‑based cars. The analysis models tilt‑rotor/duct‑wing VTOLs, accounting for efficient cruising but high takeoff and climb energy, making emissions highly dependent on trip distance. For a 100‑km point‑to‑point trip, a single‑pilot VTOL emits 35 % less GHG than an internal‑combustion vehicle but 28 % more than a battery‑electric vehicle, while fully loaded VTOLs emit 52 % less per passenger‑km than ICEVs and 6 % less than BEVs, suggesting a niche for fast, predictable sustainable mobility.

Abstract

Abstract Interest and investment in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOLs), commonly known as flying cars, have grown significantly. However, their sustainability implications are unclear. We report a physics-based analysis of primary energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of VTOLs vs. ground-based cars. Tilt-rotor/duct/wing VTOLs are efficient when cruising but consume substantial energy for takeoff and climb; hence, their burdens depend critically on trip distance. For our base case, traveling 100 km (point-to-point) with one pilot in a VTOL results in well-to-wing/wheel GHG emissions that are 35% lower but 28% higher than a one-occupant internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV), respectively. Comparing fully loaded VTOLs (three passengers) with ground-based cars with an average occupancy of 1.54, VTOL GHG emissions per passenger-kilometer are 52% lower than ICEVs and 6% lower than BEVs. VTOLs offer fast, predictable transportation and could have a niche role in sustainable mobility.