Podcast Summary: “How This Company is Building Flying Taxis”

Podcast: Solutions with Henry Blodget
Episode Air Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Henry Blodgett (Vox Media Podcast Network)
Guests:

• Stuart Simpson, CEO, Vertical Aerospace
• Jason Mudrick, Investor, Vertical Aerospace

OVERVIEW:

This episode dives into the rapidly-evolving world of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs)—the so-called "flying taxis"—with an in-depth look at industry leader Vertical Aerospace. Host Henry Blodgett speaks with CEO Stuart Simpson and major investor Jason Mudrick about the real-world challenges, technological breakthroughs, safety standards, business models, and regulatory hurdles on the path toward making flying taxis an everyday reality.

Main Theme & Purpose

The episode focuses on how Vertical Aerospace is leading the way in making flying taxis a reality—ending decades of “Jetsons” speculation and hype. The conversation covers why cities need this technology, the specifics of Vertical’s aircraft, the regulatory, safety, and economic factors at play, and the broader impact on urban mobility, the environment, and everyday life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Flying Taxis? What Problem Are They Solving?

• Urban congestion in global megacities is only worsening, and existing solutions (tunnels, road expansion) are expensive or impractical.
• Helicopter alternatives are noisy, unsafe, and expensive.
• eVTOLs are positioned as the technological breakthrough finally suited to address this mass transit bottleneck:

  “You look up to the skies and the skies are pretty much free. …We care because the cities are going to get bigger and bigger over time.”
  — Stuart Simpson (03:13)

2. What Is Vertical Aerospace’s Aircraft?

• Design: About the size of a helicopter, but with wings and tilting rotors—enabling efficient, quiet vertical takeoff and standard airplane-style flight.

• Infrastructure: Can use 90% of current helipads, just needing electric charging added.

• Flight Mechanics: Takes off/lands like a helicopter, cruises like a plane (efficient enough for current battery tech).

  “Takeoff and landing like a helicopter, flying like an airplane.”
  — Stuart Simpson (04:30)

• Use Cases: Airport connections, urban commutes, intercity hops, VIP and emergency transport.

• Initial Cost: Comparable to Uber Black or London black cabs at launch (~$2 per seat/km) (10:05).

3. Tech Differentiation vs. Helicopters & Competitors

• Quiet, Clean, Safer:

  • Zero carbon emissions, silent operation, designed for “one-in-a-billion” failure rate.
  • Autonomous flight control greatly reduces pilot error (the main cause of helicopter accidents).

• Maintenance & Economics:

  • eVTOLs = 1 minute maintenance per flight hour (vs. 3 hours for helicopters).
  • Long-term, cost advantages drive mass adoption.

  “For every hour an eVTOL flies, it needs one minute of service… you could actually get to the point where this will cost the same as an Uber Black.”
  — Jason Mudrick (08:10)

4. Safety and Certification

• Top-tier Certification: Engineered to EASA “10⁻⁹” failure standards (1 fatal hour in a billion), like an Airbus or Boeing.

• Redundancy: 8 batteries/8 rotors—multiple failures still allow for safe landing.

• Transparent, rigorous certification process:

  “We know exactly what we are doing and we are working through that. It's very transparent, very open.”
  — Stuart Simpson (12:23)

5. Industry Landscape & Regulation

• Industry Shakeout: From 100+ aspiring companies to a handful, as “physics and funding” filtered out concepts that couldn’t fly or scale.

• Global Regulatory Patchwork:

  • UK/EU (EASA/CAA) demand highest standards.
  • US (FAA) more opaque; some competitors launching in Middle East for early “show” flights, but true unlock is being certified in US/EU.
  • Hybrid/differentiated standards for over-water vs. over-dense-population use.

• Barriers: Certification is the real “moat” ($1B, 10-year process).

  “Rule of thumb to certify an aircraft is a billion dollars in 10 years. And that's about what it's going to end up being for us.”
  — Jason Mudrick (19:06)

6. Roadmap & Adoption Timeline

• Milestones:

  • Certification by 2028,
  • Production scaled in 2029-2030,
  • Mass, everyday adoption expected next decade.
  • TAM: $1T by 2040, $15T by 2050 (bigger than auto market).

  “We’ll be certified in 28. We’ll be producing these things in 29 and 30. Broad consumer adoption... next decade.”
  — Jason Mudrick (20:21)

7. Wider Use Cases

• Beyond Airport Shuttles: Urban commutes, intercity transport, medical evacuations, cargo, and organ transport.
• Military Potential: Hybrid models for stealth, autonomy, and long-range missions.

8. Air Traffic Control & Autonomy

• Highways in the Sky:

  • Each aircraft transponds; automated, AI-driven air traffic control expected.
  • Much easier to coordinate than ground self-driving vehicles.
  • Regulatory and consumer discomfort means initial use will likely have human pilots; full autonomy expected later.

  “Every aircraft will have a transponder... putting these things into highways in the skies is actually relatively easy.” — Stuart Simpson (23:21)

9. Business Model: Focus & Moat

• Vertical Aerospace focuses exclusively on design, engineering, assembly, and servicing—not operation.
• Batteries as Razor-blade Model: Aircraft last 20 years; batteries replaced annually, only via Vertical—a long-term, recurring revenue moat.
• Competitors like Joby and Archer shifting toward operations (e.g., recent Blade acquisition); Vertical sees greater, steadier returns in manufacturing and support.

10. Technical Deep Dive: Batteries & Hybrid

• Battery Pack:
  • In-house designed and certified,
  • Massive energy density (27 Escalades worth of energy, same weight as one!) (47:01),
  • Aircraft designed with battery lifecycle/regulatory needs top of mind.
• Battery Replacement: After ~92% charge capacity, must be replaced by Vertical—no aftermarket, due to strict certification.
• Hybrid Capability:
  • Hybrid electric/gas turbines add range (up to 1,000 miles),
  • Defense applications: Stealth, autonomous, long-range missions.
• Core Value: Not just buying off-the-shelf batteries, but packaging and certifying for ultra-high safety/efficiency.

11. Capital, Competition, and the Contrarian Bet

• Vertical’s Position: Recently raised $160M, with $140M cash in the bank, enough to last into next year (37:08).

• Contrarian Opportunity:

  • Industry leaders are now few, “left for dead” valuation (<$1B vs. Joby’s $17B) despite comparable (or better) progress and technical advantage.
  • Barriers to entry (certification, capital expenditure) keep new entrants out.

  “The disconnect between our stock price, our progress, our capability, our aircraft is so extraordinarily large... we are hitting every operational target.”
  — Stuart Simpson (55:29)

12. Future Outlook: Technology, Market, and Societal Impact

• The Future Is (Finally) Real:

  • Not just hype: certified, mass-market flying taxis are imminent.
  • The technology will “transform the way we move around”—with safer, sustainable, and scalable solutions for the world's biggest urban headaches.

  “This technology is going to transform the way we move around.”
  — Jason Mudrick (59:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “For every hour an eVTOL flies, it needs one minute of service. …Wait, you could actually get to the point where this will cost the same as an Uber Black.”
  — Jason Mudrick ([08:10])

• “Our product completely solves all of those problems in terms of getting around in the global megacities and completely replaces helicopters. Because we're silent, we're safe. It's a complete game changer.”
  — Stuart Simpson ([03:13])

• “One in a billion is the highest safety standard in aviation. …The same standard a large Airbus or Boeing would be certified under.”
  — Jason Mudrick ([12:59])

• “[Regarding autonomy]...these fly themselves. …A seven-year-old could do it. There's no pilot error.”
  — Jason Mudrick ([27:42])

• “Our battery has the power of 27 Cadillac Escalades. Yet the whole aircraft weighs the same as one Cadillac Escalade.”
  — Stuart Simpson ([47:01])

• “Certification unlocks insurance, unlocks the market.”
  — Stuart Simpson ([40:10])

• “If you want to invest in this industry, because Beta’s private right now… you have three options: buy Joby for $17B, buy Archer… or buy Vertical Aerospace. …Best aircraft, just as far along for certification, and you can buy us for 1/15th or 1/20th the valuation. As a contrarian, that’s what’s fascinating.”
  — Jason Mudrick ([58:40])

• “This is real. We are going to be putting these in customers' hands, certified in 2028. This is happening.”
  — Stuart Simpson ([59:44])

Notable Timestamps

• Why flying taxis? [03:13]
• Aircraft design and infrastructure [04:25]
• Comparison with helicopters [08:10]
• Safety & Certification standards [12:23], [12:59], [13:56]
• Timeline for adoption [20:21]
• Business model & battery economics [45:48], [50:43]
• Hybrid engine applications [51:28]
• Contrarian investment rationale [34:14]
• Comparisons with competitors [37:41], [39:28]
• Wrap up, vision for the future [59:44]

Tone and Language

The discussion is accessible while highly technical and candid, balancing enthusiastic optimism (“This is real… This is happening!”) with hard regulatory, engineering, and financial realities. The guests are frank about industry hype cycles, skeptical about competitors’ timelines, and passionate about their product’s safety, design, and wider societal potential.

Conclusion

Vertical Aerospace stands at the forefront of turning flying taxis from fantasy to a regulated, safe, and transformative reality. With engineering rigor, transparent certification, savvy business modeling, and a contrarian investment thesis, the company offers a compelling value proposition in a field about to lift off—literally. By 2028, the skies above major cities may begin witnessing the quiet, efficient revolution that decades of sci-fi only dreamed of.