The public conversation around air taxis uses several terms interchangeably: eVTOL, helicopter, flying car, powered-lift aircraft, and personal air vehicle.
They are not the same thing.
A helicopter uses rotors to take off and land vertically and is already a mature aviation category. Helicopters are flexible but noisy, expensive to operate, and limited by public acceptance in dense urban areas.
An eVTOL is usually electric and designed for vertical takeoff and landing, often with multiple rotors, lift fans, or tilting propulsion systems. Many eVTOLs aim to be quieter and cheaper to operate than helicopters, though the market still has to prove that at scale.
A flying car usually means one of two things: a roadable aircraft that can drive and fly, or a public-friendly label for air taxis.