Florida plans to build air taxi pads using $200M intended for EV chargers
SMRTR summary
Florida has the second-highest number of electric vehicles in the US, yet the state has fewer chargers per vehicle than the national average. So what did officials decide to do with nearly $200 million in federal EV charging funds? Build landing pads for electric air taxis.
The Florida Department of Transportation is redirecting that money, originally awarded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, to construct 32 landing pads for eVTOLs, those electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that carry four to five passengers.
The state argues private companies have already handled EV charging adequately. But critics might note that other states, like New York and North Carolina, used the same funding to build chargers in communities where renters lack access to home charging.
Florida's vision? Air taxis hovering above traffic, landing at golf courses and luxury apartment buildings. It's a futuristic bet on a market that, for now, remains very much in its early days.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to TechCrunch.
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