Setting the Record Straight on eVTOLs: A Response to Industry Skepticism

eVTOL is the future.

The eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) industry is no stranger to scrutiny. Recently, a LinkedIn post by a leader in the helicopter industry compared modern eVTOL efforts to infamous failures like Theranos, FTX, and Enron—questioning the viability, cost, and performance of this emerging sector. As a company deeply invested in designing the future of urban air mobility, Hollocraft welcomes hard questions, but we also believe in addressing misconceptions with facts.

1. Safety: Innovation with Rigor, Not Recklessness

The claim that eVTOL designs are "demonstrably unsafe" based on two catastrophic failures in prototypes is an oversimplification. Safety is at the core of eVTOL development, and just as early aircraft prototypes faced setbacks, rigorous testing is essential to progress.

Regulatory bodies like the FAA and EASA are actively working alongside eVTOL companies to ensure safety standards are met before commercial deployment. Unlike traditional helicopters, many eVTOLs incorporate distributed electric propulsion (DEP), which offers redundancy—if one rotor fails, others compensate. This is a significant advantage over single-rotor helicopters, where a single mechanical failure can be catastrophic.

2. Cost: A Long-Term View on Affordability

Comparing the cost of current eVTOL prototypes to legacy helicopters without considering economies of scale is misleading. Yes, early models are expensive, just as the first electric cars cost significantly more than their internal combustion counterparts. However, as battery technology advances and production scales up, costs will decrease—just as they did in the automotive sector.

Additionally, eVTOLs have lower maintenance costs than helicopters. Helicopters rely on complex, high-maintenance mechanical systems like gearboxes and turboshaft engines, while eVTOLs have fewer moving parts and require less frequent overhauls. Long-term operating costs will favor electric aviation as battery efficiencies improve.

3. Performance: DEP and the Future of Urban Air Mobility

The assertion that "DEP aircraft can only support vertical lift for seconds" is inaccurate. Many leading eVTOLs, including our Hollocraft 826, are designed for efficient VTOL operations and sustained flight. Battery technology is evolving rapidly, and energy density improvements are enabling longer operational range and flight times.

Furthermore, VTOL aircraft are designed for specific use cases—short-haul urban air mobility, emergency response, and regional air travel—where they offer distinct advantages over helicopters, including quieter operation, reduced emissions, and improved efficiency in congested cityscapes.

Conclusion: The Future is Electric

Skepticism is healthy, but dismissing eVTOLs outright ignores the trajectory of technological advancement. Every major shift in transportation—from automobiles to commercial airliners—faced resistance from incumbents who doubted their feasibility. Today, companies like Hollocraft are not just theorizing about the future—we are actively building it, with safety, cost-efficiency, and performance at the forefront.

We invite critics and industry leaders alike to engage in informed discussions based on engineering realities rather than broad-brush comparisons to past financial frauds. The future of aviation is evolving, and we at Hollocraft are excited to be part of that transformation.