In the bustling skies above Shanghai, a revolution is taking flight. Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, once the stuff of science fiction, are now zipping through the air, delivering meals from restaurants to hungry customers in a fraction of the time it would take a traditional delivery person. This isn’t just a futuristic dream; it’s a reality being pioneered by companies like Meituan, and it’s transforming the low-altitude economy in ways that could have significant implications for the energy sector.
At the heart of this transformation is Tao Li, a researcher from the School of Artificial Intelligence Technology at Guangxi Technological College of Machinery and Electricity. Li’s recent study, published in the World Electric Vehicle Journal, delves into the complexities of optimizing eVTOL dispatch costs under fluctuating delivery demands. The research offers a glimpse into the future of urban logistics and the role that eVTOLs could play in shaping it.
Li’s work focuses on Meituan’s eVTOL delivery system in Shanghai’s Yangpu District. The company’s eVTOLs, with their six-axis multi-rotor design and lithium batteries, can cover distances of over 5 km in a single trip, significantly reducing delivery times. But the real challenge, Li explains, lies in managing the eVTOLs’ schedules and ensuring they’re ready to go when demand surges.
“When daily order peaks surge abruptly, eVTOLs face shortages, particularly during peak hours,” Li notes. “This demand pressure underscores the critical importance of optimizing the scheduling of eVTOL equipment to avoid delivery delays or the outright shutdown of the app-based order API, thereby ensuring customer satisfaction.”
To tackle this issue, Li and his team developed an iterative algorithm that considers factors like processing costs, opportunity costs, and delivery demand. Through numerical examples and Monte Carlo simulations, they found that different cost parameters and demand characteristics significantly influence eVTOL incremental decision-making and economic performance.
The findings suggest that delivery stations could adopt multi-period decentralized dynamic scheduling under low processing and opportunity costs to enhance flexibility. Alternatively, they could implement low-frequency centralized decision-making under high costs to optimize efficiency. These strategies could help reduce operational costs and improve customer satisfaction, making eVTOL delivery a more viable option for urban logistics.
But the implications of this research go beyond just optimizing delivery routes. The energy sector could see significant impacts as well. As eVTOLs become more prevalent, the demand for efficient, high-capacity batteries will increase. This could drive innovation in battery technology, leading to advancements that benefit not just eVTOLs, but other electric vehicles as well.
Moreover, the integration of eVTOLs into urban logistics could help reduce traffic congestion and lower emissions, contributing to a more sustainable energy future. As Li puts it, “The advantages of eVTOL delivery lie in its ability to overcome ground traffic obstacles, reduce delivery time, enhance service efficiency, and improve user experience.”
However, there are challenges to overcome. Airspace regulations, safety protocols, and public acceptance are all critical factors that will shape the future of eVTOL delivery. Li’s research acknowledges these challenges and calls for further study to address them.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that eVTOLs have the potential to revolutionize urban logistics and the low-altitude economy. With researchers like Tao Li at the helm, we’re one step closer to making that future a reality. The energy sector would do well to keep an eye on these developments, as they could shape the landscape of urban mobility and sustainability in the years to come.