Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. (Geely) AE200 X01 (technology demonstrator)

AE200 X01 (technology demonstrator)
Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. (Geely)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
www.aerofugia.com

Founded in September 2020, Aerofugia Technology Company Limited (based in China) is in the business of designing and manufacturing low-altitude UAVs and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft. The company is a subsidiary of Geely Technology Group and in 2021, Aerofugia formed a joint venture with Volocopter.

The AE200 X01 is a full scale eVTOL technology demonstrator aircraft that is powered by eight propellers, eight electric motors and powered by batteries. The aircraft has one high wing with four booms parallel to the fuselage and the propellers are at the end of each boom. The front propellers are tilt-propellers and the rear propellers are VTOL-only propellers. The windows are extra tall for spectacular views, two rear boom mounted vertical stabilizers and has retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear.

The AE200 X01 technology demonstrator successfully completed its first test flight on January 30, 2023 in China. According to the South China Morning Post the AE200 X01 technology demonstrator was the largest Chinese eVTOL ever flown.

According to recent articles in the 2020s, the Chinese government has been gradually relaxing its restrictions on low-altitude civilian airspace, below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). In March 2022, the Ministry of Transport of China released a development plan that listed flying cars among the major tasks from now until 2035.

Technology demonstrator flight tests
Aerofugia announced on June 12, 2024 that the AE200 technology demonstrator had completed a full-size, full weight and full-envelope tilt transition flight tests. Then on June 23, 2024, the company made its first public demonstration tilt transition flight test of the technology demonstrator.

Future
The company has stated they expect to have its airworthiness certificate in 2026.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL technology demonstrator aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot or remote control
• Capacity: 5 seats (1 pilot, 4 passengers)
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left and right for spectacular views
• Wings: 1 main high wing
• Tail: 2 boom mounted vertical stabilizer
• Landing gear: Retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. (Geely) Air Car (concept design)
• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. (Geely) TF-2
• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. (Geely) Transporter (concept design)

Company Insights:

• China Edge
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Aerofugia Technology website
• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. bilibili
• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. TikTok
• Aerofugia Technology Co. Ltd. Weibo
• Article: Volocopter announces joint venture with Geely subsidiary Aerofugia, Electrive.com, Sept. 22, 2021
• Article: China’s Rising eVTOL Industry, Electric VTOL News, Nov/Dec 2021
• Article: Geely’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft Patent was Granted, Global Sky Media, Aug. 6, 2022
• Article: Geely Aerofugia Unveils Self-developed Flying Car, Global Sky Media, Aug. 29, 2022
• Article: AEROFUGIA: GEELY’s Move From Electric Cars To Electric Flying Cars, Global Sky Media, Sept. 14, 2022
• Article: Chinese carmaker Geely in race to take EVs to the skies as subsidiary Aerofugia completes trial run of five-seater flying car, South China Morning Post, Feb. 1, 2023
• Article: Geely begins testing the largest eVTOL prototype ever flown in China, New Atlas, Feb. 9, 2023
• Article: Aerofugia’s AE200 tilt-rotor eVTOL “makes first public demonstration flight”, Urban Air Mobility, June 24, 2024
• Article: Homegrown eVTOLs showing huge potential, Ecns.cn, June 28, 2024
• Article: China eVTOL Aircraft Round-Up, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2024