The Environmental Life Cycle Costs (ELCC) of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as an input for sustainable urban mobility

Abstract

The growth of shared mobility has recently challenged the way mobility has traditionally been conceived. In this perspective, this study investigates the Environmental Life Cycle Costs of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services to evaluate their potential integration with other transport systems, in the three-time horizons (2025, 2030, 2035). The key area of research was focused on the determination of the cost components of UAM required to calculate the unit costs of UAM transportation. To this end, unitary data and the method from a 2017 EC DG MOVE's report on urban accessibility have been adopted. The analysis confirms that most of the cost is related to the aircraft energy consumption during flight, while the rest is used by ground infrastructure. Moreover, the energy cost is strongly correlated with the distance travelled and the size of the aircraft. The longer the flight and the bigger the aircraft, the higher is the energy cost. Complex cost analysis should be able to support decision-makers in the definition of Sustainable Urban Mobility and their principles of integration, participation, monitoring and evaluation. However, it will be necessary to be able to draw on more consolidated and widespread data over time for the creation of Urban plans for Sustainable Mobility.