Market segmentation of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi commuting service in five large U.S. cities

Abstract

Many companies are developing prototypes for novel electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to serve as air taxis in cities. These eVTOL air taxis are envisioned as a new form of shared transportation that has the potential to reduce commuting times in urban areas with congested roadway networks. In this study, an attitudinal survey of high-income commuters in five U.S. cities was conducted to better understand the segmentation of the market for future eVTOL urban air taxis. Factor analysis of eVTOL perceptions identified two dimensions: Concern and Enthusiasm. Cluster analysis of the scores on these factors identified six meaningful segments, which differed on a variety of demographic, travel behavior, and attitudinal variables, as well as on participants’ inclination to adopt eVTOL travel. The study demonstrates how assessment of the sizes of the various air taxi market segments is affected by mean-centering the factor scores obtained from Likert-scale survey results; in particular, it finds that the conventional mean-centered factor scoring approach understates positive interest in eVTOL air taxis.