Florida received $198 million from the Biden administration's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program to build out federally funded public fast chargers across the state. Now it wants to spend that money on infrastructure for electric air taxis instead, according to a new investigation by the Miami Herald.
These aircraft, known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, would form what the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is calling an Aerial Highway Network. The agency says the network would complement the state's existing transportation system and could help ease congestion and improve connectivity. But eVTOLs are still in an early stage of development and haven't been commercially deployed as air taxis anywhere in the U.S. Joby Aviation, one of the frontrunners in the space and backed by Delta Air Lines, ran week-long test flights in New York City this April.
FDOT's plan calls for charging infrastructure that could recharge eVTOLs at 32 "vertiports," where the vehicles take off from and land, according to documents obtained by the Herald. Each site would cost roughly $5.6 million. They'd go up in places like luxury apartment buildings, golf courses, military bases, and airports.
