Batteries power electric vehicles on roads, but commercial electric passenger planes remain about a decade away. The low-altitude economy is emerging as a test bed for electric propulsion, with drones under 1,000 metres eyed for affordable goods transport and eVTOL aircraft promising urban travel transformation. Analysts project a global eVTOL market of US$30 billion by 2030, driven by emergency response, logistics, air taxis and tourism. China has prioritized low-altitude development and operates uncrewed drone deliveries in Shenzhen; an uncrewed passenger eVTOL flew 50 km between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in 20 minutes. Careful management and regulation are crucial to ensure safety and public trust as technologies integrate energy systems, motors, chips and avionics.
Batteries are already powering electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads. But they are yet to transform aviation. Although some electric passenger planes are being prototyped, commercial uses are a decade away. The low-altitude economy is, however, an emerging test bed for electric propulsion flight technologies, which must operate in conditions and to safety standards that are very different from those on land.
Drones operating at altitudes below 1,000 metres are eyed as affordable ways to transport small quantities of goods and speed up logistics. Larger electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promise to transform how people travel around cities. The global market for eVTOL aircraft could reach US$30 billion by 2030, analysts project, driven by applications in emergency response, logistics, air taxis and tourism (see 'Low-altitude aircraft on the rise').
China has included the low-altitude economy in its 2024 government work report and tasked a department to support the development of it (see go.nature.com/3jbwywr). Uncrewed drone deliveries now operate in the city of Shenzhen, China, and designs for autonomous air taxis are being tested. For example, in February last year, an uncrewed passenger eVTOL aircraft successfully flew 50 kilometres between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in 20 minutes - a journey that would have taken 3 hours by car.
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