Venture capitalists and private equity professionals expect a substantial increase in the number of orders for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft over the next two years.
According to research by evtol manufacturers Horizon Aircraft, one in six investors think there could be over 10,000 such orders by 2025, after around 6,850 were placed in 2021. Around two-thirds think the number will top 8,000, Horizon reported, manned advanced air mobility aircraft set to continue to dominate the order books after making up around 80% of the US $26.1 billion worth of orders in 2021.
But the growing demand for eVTOLS could lead to market consolidation, investors believe, with a fifth of them expecting a "dramatic rise" in the number of concept aircraft going defunct and manufacturers following suit. The number of companies could be halved from around 300 in three yeares, according to the views of around 20% of investors.
Recent weeks have seen several industry announcements, with Eve Air announcing Brazil's FlyBIS would take 40 of its eVTOLS, ARC Aerosystems testing a prototype vehicle and Joby Aviation applying to Japan's regulator for approval of its eVTOL.
