eVTOL, or Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft, commonly referred to as “flying cars,” boasts advantages such as low carbon emissions, high automation levels, low operating costs, and high safety and reliability. It is considered a crucial solution for urban air mobility, future urban transportation and logistics, with enormous market potential.
Guo Liang, CEO and Chief Scientist of Aerofugia Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd., stated that the company’s manned AE200 model aims to complete the airworthiness certification process by the end of next year or early the following year. Commercial trial operations are planned to begin after 2026, with large-scale operations expected to commence after 2030.
AE200’s Commercial Prospects Look Promising
eVTOL is often referred to as a “flying car” due to its close connection with new energy vehicles. Guo Liang describes it as a “new energy vehicle wearing an aviation cloak.” He mentions that from a supply chain perspective, 80% of eVTOL components overlap with those of new energy vehicles, while the remaining 20% are related to aviation, including power systems and flight control systems, making it a typical fusion innovation industry.
The eVTOL technology route can be divided into manned and unmanned categories. In the unmanned field, Chinese companies are already at the forefront globally. He Tianxing, Vice President of EHang Intelligent, recently stated that the world’s first operational certification for an unmanned passenger aircraft is expected to be issued this year, with the “air taxi” service likely to be launched by the end of the year.
Compared to EHang’s unmanned EH216-S, Aerofugia’s manned AE200 model has a faster speed, carries more passengers, and has a longer range. The EH216-S can carry two passengers, with a maximum range of 35 kilometers and a top speed of 130 km/h. The AE200, on the other hand, is a 5-6 seater flying car with a maximum range of 200 kilometers and a cruising speed of approximately 248 km/h.
In 2022, the AE200 became the first manned eVTOL in China to receive a Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) airworthiness certification acceptance reply. In December 2023, it completed its first flight as a certification validation aircraft.
Globally, only three companies have developed manned eVTOLs capable of full-tilt flight, with Aerofugia being one of them and the other two based in the United States. In June this year, Aerofugia’s AE200 completed a full-tilt transition flight test, becoming the first Chinese and second global eVTOL company to achieve this milestone. “We are engaged in intense competition in this field, and the core issue is which of the three companies will obtain the airworthiness certification for a 5-6 seater manned eVTOL first,” Guo Liang said.
Guo Liang revealed that the aircraft will undergo test flights by CAAC test pilots next year, with the goal of completing the airworthiness certification process by the end of next year or early the following year. Commercial trial operations are planned to begin after 2026, with large-scale operations expected to commence after 2030.
Air Traffic Rules Need to be Gradually Explored and Resolved
In Guo Liang’s view, the eVTOL industry has three prominent characteristics: first, the major technological trend is towards vertical takeoff and landing, which does not require a lot of runway infrastructure, saving more urban space and making it more convenient for rural use; second, combined with China’s new energy industry background, the country’s energy network far surpasses that of Western developed countries, and a complete charging network is conducive to the development of electric aircraft; third, intelligent driving, whether the aircraft is manned or unmanned, is based on a complete intelligent driving system, and safe flight is conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
He believes that the initial application of eVTOL may be business travel, focusing on improving travel comfort and saving travel time; after 2-3 years of industry maturity, costs will be significantly reduced, entering a price range that ordinary people can accept, which is 2-3 times the price of a ground taxi.
However, he also mentions that there are still areas that need to be improved in future operations, such as traffic rules. On the ground, cars have red and green lights to guide them, but in the air, there are no such rules, and these issues need to be gradually explored and resolved.
In fact, low-altitude airspace management is one of the key topics of concern at present. At this conference, Cheng Chengqi, a member of the National Air Traffic Control Expert Advisory Committee and Director of the Beijing University Aerospace Information Engineering Center, specifically introduced the concept of an air traffic light system. According to the idea, the Earth’s space is divided into different scales of three-dimensional grids, with prohibited flight areas marked in red and permitted flight areas marked in green, and the system is dynamically adjusted in real-time to guide aircraft flight.
Currently, the market is relatively optimistic about the prospects of eVTOL. Guo Liang revealed that before the product has even completed airworthiness certification, Aerofugia has already received many orders, and will jointly explore the application of eVTOL in multiple scenarios such as low-altitude travel, air tourism, and emergency rescue.
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