FutureFlight
Vertical Flight Society Says Covid Has Not Slowed eVTOL Progress
The industry group has tracked a total of 407 eVTOL aircraft concepts from 245 different companies.
Joby Aviation S4 prototype
Joby Aviation was one of several eVTOL aircraft developers that managed to raise further funding in 2020, despite the fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic. (Image: Joby Aviation)

The Covid pandemic has not slowed the pace of new eVTOL aircraft developments, according to the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The U.S.-based group, which will hold its 8th annual Electric VTOL Symposium from January 26-28, this week reported that investment in new products in 2020 maintained the recent annual rate of around $1 billion.

VFS estimates that around $5 billion has been invested in new eVTOL aircraft and supporting systems to date, with much of the capital originating from outside the mainstream aerospace industry. The group’s World eVTOL Aircraft Directory now includes as many as 407 different eVTOL concepts generated by around 245 companies, with most of these having entered the new sector since 2017 and with around two dozen now having flown full- or large-scale examples of passenger-carrying aircraft.