Just some rough estimates here, a Jetranger helicopter costs ~$1000/hr to charter. Assuming the helicopter's 300 kW engine was magically replaced with electric batteries, that's only ~$30/hr for energy. And an eVTOL will be far more energy efficient in forward flight and at idle than a helicopter.
So I could see a path to 10x improvement by eliminating the pilot and keeping utilization high. Even if you budget $100/hour maintenance cost, the cost can be far lower than conventional helicopters.
So I could see a path to 10x improvement by eliminating the pilot and keeping utilization high. Even if you budget $100/hour maintenance cost, the cost can be far lower than conventional helicopters.