• 21 Dec 2020 12:53 PM
• 1

CAAM Accelerates eVTOL in Canada

By VFS Staff

Canadian Advanced Air Mobility’s Triple Bottom Line — Economy, Environment and Engagement — support eVTOL expansion

The Vancouver-based Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM) Consortium commissioned three new studies to better understand how advanced air mobility (AAM) activities will impact the Greater Vancouver economy, environment and social engagement, the so-called Triple Bottom Line.

The first study, “Economic Impacts of Advanced Air Mobility — New Air Mobility Options Will Benefit Greater Vancouver, Creating Jobs and Energizing GDP Growth,” by CAAM, NEXA Advisors and Crown Consulting, gives the direct, indirect, and induced economic effects of AAM over the next 20 years. Direct effects include the direct hiring of employees and revenue generation of sales. Indirect effects are the benefits to the supply chain of a company or government agency. Induced effects are those consumer expenditures resulting from direct and indirect effects. CAAM found that, driven by 20-year spending for AAM services within its four most critical supply chains, the direct, indirect, and induced benefits are significant, identifying over $2B in direct spending over this period. 

Statistics Canada — the federal agency tasked with producing data to help better understand Canada, its population, resources and economy — created industry multipliers and specialized models to derive accurate Canada-specific economic projections for jobs, gross domestic product (GDP), government revenues and other benefits. 

The new AAM-driven job estimates can improve the number of aerospace-related jobs by over 2,000 permanent jobs by 2040. These new jobs represent highly paid skilled, technical and, in some cases, scientific labor categories. 

The second report, “Environmental Analysis and Framework,” by Brightspot Climate, measures the direct and indirect environmental impacts associated with the integration of AAM, particularly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology in the Greater Vancouver Region, through the completion of a streamlined Life Cycle Inventory (LCI). The study examined three scenarios or pathways — conventional ground transportation, helicopter transportation and eVTOL transportation — for the movement of radioactive, time-sensitive, cancer-fighting isotopes from Vancouver to Victoria. The findings indicate that the total emissions resulting from utilizing eVTOLs for the transportation of cancer isotopes is lower than the conventional ground transportation and helicopter transportation pathways.

The importance of a well-rounded social engagement strategy is critical to the overall success of the project, as outlined in “Advancing Together — CAAM’s Engagement Strategy,” by CAAM and Cobalt Strategy Group. Within the Metro Vancouver area, there are several factors that were considered. First, the region is a young, growing population center that is immersed in a global crossroads between the eastern and western hemispheres. As such, there is constant cultural shift, reinvention, reprioritization and evolving attitudes towards large-scale developments. 

Second, while the region’s current structure might be in its adolescence, the Indigenous communities are important partners in the future of this region, including the work of AAM. Third, development in various sectors would need to be tailored to help residents see their part in the process and feel confident that their needs are accommodated. By providing transparent exposure and raising awareness of the potentials of AAM, use-cases will grow and operations can be more smoothly introduced.

Finally, CAAM — the consortium formed to organize AAM’s launch throughout Greater Vancouver — is already bound together by strong commitments to ensure equal access to these new eVTOL mobility services. The region can lead Canada through introduction of revolutionary new aviation technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve transportation system efficiency, promote public health and safety, create jobs and revenue, and improve equitable access to opportunities for all residents — particularly low income groups, seniors, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable population groups.

The three reports — which followed the Sept. 15 report published by CAAM, NEXA Advisors and Crown Consulting, “Advanced Air Mobility Comes to Vancouver” — were published on Nov. 16. All of which can be found at www.canadianaam.com, along with other resources.