The Chinese government has an ambitious plan for the future: see more than 100,000 air taxis and flying cars flying over the country in 2030, that’s nothing. To reach such a figure and become the king of this type of transport, it has launched an initiative known as ‘low altitude economy’ through which Thousands of vertiports and hundreds of air routes will be opened throughout the Great Bay area of the south of the country. Numerous manufacturers and suppliers of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles) are already joining in, because no one here wants to be the last.
AutoFlight Prosperity eVTOL image
The AutoFlight company recently completed the first flight of its model Prosperity, a design with capacity for four passengers plus the pilot that is equipped with a purely electric propulsion system that allows it autonomously travel 250 kilometers at a cruising speed of 200 km/h. Its ‘lift and cruise’ wing configuration allows vertical takeoff similar to a multirotor airplane or helicopter and once in the air it transitions to fixed wing flight for horizontal cruise.
Thanks to its efficiency, versatility and its commitment to the environment, it stands as an ideal option for air taxis, the idea is to go from one point to another within the urban center for a price similar to car services on the ground. The first unit of this vehicle was sold earlier this year to a Japanese customer who will use it as a demonstration model at large events. like next year’s Osaka World Expo.
EHang model EH216-S
On the other hand, it is the Chinese manufacturer EHang, that has already come more than 300 eVOTL EH216-S unmanned with capacity for two people equipped with high-performance solid-state lithium battery. This model, whose price is around 400,000 euros, It is distinguished by its autonomous flight capabilities, all-electric propulsion, comprehensive safety features, and intelligent command and control systems.
Furthermore, it can boast of having been the first to obtain the world’s standard airworthiness certificate for pilotless eVTOL aircraft for passenger transportation of Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2023.
But these two are not the only companies from the Asian giant that are looking for their place in this market, they are also Xpeng Aeroth or Volant Aerotech. Now we just have to wait to see which of them is crowned as the main distributor of this type of vehicle.
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