Electric air taxis have been promised for years, with manufacturers promoting them as the future of short-range air transportation. These are generally designed as VTOL aircraft (vertical takeoff & landing) with propellers, and are primarily intended to travel on missions like from city centers to nearby airports, hence the ‘air taxi’ designation.

This role is primarily handled by helicopters on an extremely small scale, and it’s therefore notable that several companies are now developing dedicated aircraft for this role using battery technology. There’s a lack of clarity as to how firm some eVTOL concepts are today, in part because there are hundreds of startup companies currently promising eVTOLs, only a few of which appear likely to actually produce a real aircraft.

Currently, there are two front-runners developing electric air taxis, which are Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation. These two companies are currently pushing their aircraft through the FAA type certification process, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be flying passengers on a widespread basis.

Joby Aviation & Its S4 Air Taxi

Credit: Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation is the company furthest along in getting an eVTOL aircraft into regular service. Their product is called the S4, and it’s currently moving through the fourth phase of the FAA’s type certification process (there are five in total, though the phases have multiple sections). It’s a serious company, and there will be Joby S4s in regular passenger service once the eVTOL is finally certified.

Given the current certification timeline, the S4 should enter service either in late 2026 or in 2027. The S4 is a five-seater aircraft powered by six electric motors, each powering tilting propellers to give it VTOL capability. It should have a top speed of roughly 173 knots, while having a range of up to 130 NM (241 km) on a single charge.

It will be a single-pilot aircraft, with space for four passengers, and it should also have enough storage for all four passengers to bring their luggage. The S4 promises a payload capacity of 1,000 lbs (453 kg), while being significantly quieter than a helicopter. Joby has partnered with Toyota for manufacturing while receiving a $60 million investment from Delta Air Lines in 2022.

In addition, Joby acquired Uber’s Elevate air taxi division while also receiving a $75 million investment from Uber, and has also acquired Blade Air Mobility’s passenger transportation division, giving it access to the company’s infrastructure, network, and operational footprint. This will allow it to quickly build up passenger operations once the S4 is certified.

Archer Aviation & Its Midnight eVTOL

Credit: Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation is currently just slightly behind the Joby S4, as the company’s Midnight eVTOL is also in the fourth phase of the FAA Type Certification process. Like its competitor, the Midnight will likely enter service in late 2026 or early 2027. On paper, the two eVTOLs appear similar, as both are electric-powered propeller aircraft.

Like Joby, Archer Aviation has some serious backers, including United Airlines (which also ordered up to 200 examples), Stellantis for manufacturing support, and Jetex for international private terminal infrastructure. The Midnight is also a five-seater aircraft, capable of accommodating four passengers and controlled by a single pilot, and it should have approximately the same payload capacity as the Joby S4.

The biggest design difference between the S4 and the Midnight is that the latter has 12 propellers, which are fixed in place: six for forward flight, while the remaining six are for VTOL operations. As such, the Archer Midnight is a heavier aircraft than the Joby S4, which does hinder its performance. The Midnight has a range of 87 NM (161 km) and a top speed of 130 knots, which is less than the competing S4.

Archer Aviation advertises that the Midnight can be recharged in as little as ten minutes. While it’s slower and has less range than the Joby S4, both aircraft are primarily designed for short-range operations, with city centers-to-airports being the classic use case for the Midnight and S4. Although there are other companies that are serious about building eVTOLs, Archer and Joby are the companies furthest ahead.

How The S4 & Midnight Will Enter Service

Credit: Joby Aviation

The US is the largest market for air taxis, but Joby Aviation plans to introduce the S4 in Dubai. The company holds an exclusive six-year agreement with the Dubai Road and Transport Authority to operate commercial air taxi routes, aiming to transform urban air mobility in the area. Joby Aviation later aims to leverage the infrastructure from its Elevate acquisition and Blade partnership to begin passenger operations in other areas of the world, including in New York and Los Angeles.

Archer Aviation is working on certifying the Midnight with the UAE for initial operations in Abu Dhabi, and is also aiming to leverage its airline partnerships to commence service in the carriers’ respective regions shortly afterwards. Archer has also been named as the official exclusive air taxi for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics. Similar to Joby, Archer plans to eventually operate in major business centers in the US and in other countries through its partnerships.

Despite the similarities in the aircraft being developed, Archer and Joby are pursuing different commercial strategies. Joby is primarily aiming to create a vertically-integrated air taxi ecosystem, where it develops the aircraft and runs the network. Archer Aviation is also looking to develop its own network, but it’s operating more similarly to a traditional original equipment manufacturer by also relying heavily on orders to third-party customers, such as United Airlines, Abu Dhabi Aviation, and Ethiopian Airlines.

The Infrastructure Challenge For Joby & Archer

Credit: Joby Aviation

Joby and Archer are both seeking FAA Type Certification for their eVTOL aircraft, which will enable the air taxis to operate commercial flights, but the challenge is building the ground infrastructure. As of the time of writing, the US only has one operational vertipad, located in Blackstone, Virginia, which is intended for research, development, and testing.

Several cities have planned to construct vertipads for electric air taxis, but these have not yet been completed, and this will be crucial to the actual usability of the air taxis. At first, you’d think that these air taxis could simply use the same heliports as helicopters. However, the biggest changes that would be needed are the charging infrastructure.

A vertiport capable of accommodating electric air taxis requires a charging grid and battery management units. In addition, a vertiport requires different fire suppression systems from a heliport, due to the nature of battery fires compared to helicopter engine fires, and vertiports require different markings versus a heliport. Vertiports technically contribute less noise pollution than a heliport, since electric air taxis are far quieter than helicopters.

However, this is only true if the choice is between constructing a vertiport or a heliport. Building and operating a vertiport still contributes noise, making it a crucial factor when approving or denying the construction of a vertiport. In addition, some cities, such as New York, are extremely short on space, and it may be difficult to find space for a new vertiport, especially near the city centers where air taxis are meant to serve.

The Importance Of Electric Air Taxis

Credit: Archer Aviaton

Electric air taxis are serving as some of the first widespread applications of battery-powered propulsion in aviation. As the world aims to decarbonize, the industry is becoming problematic because batteries are significantly less energy-dense than liquid fuel. This isn’t a major issue for ground-based transport, but using batteries for propulsion has a significant impact on aircraft performance as it stands today. These eVTOL air taxis will demonstrate the true viability of batteries on short-range flights.

The air taxis themselves, however, won’t have a dramatic impact on commercial aviation. Air taxis already exist in the form of helicopter flights operated by companies such as Blade, and they’re primarily novelty experiences for the ultra-wealthy. The air taxis will be cheaper to operate than helicopters and may be deployed on more routes, but they’ll still be tiny aircraft, and it’s unlikely that operators will drop prices significantly compared to helicopters. As such, they’ll remain limited experiences for a small sliver of the population.

However, Joby and Archer are looking at other uses of their air taxis beyond flying between city centers and airports. Both companies are partnering with the Pentagon to explore military applications of their air taxi platforms, including for passenger and cargo missions. Archer is also working on an autonomous hybrid VTOL aircraft in collaboration with Anduril called the Thunder, while Joby is partnering with L3Harris to develop its own autonomous hybrid VTOL aircraft for military uses.