• 31 Oct 2024 11:49 PM
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China eVTOL Aircraft Round-Up

By Jennifer Meszaros
Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2024

Chinese companies are rapidly advancing in the “low-altitude” sector (see “China's Low-Altitude Economy and eVTOL Diplomacy,” Vertiflite, Sept/Oct 2024), signaling a transformative era in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL). As major players like AutoFlight, EHang and XPeng AeroHT innovate and collaborate on projects, momentum toward widespread advanced air mobility (AAM) in China is building, setting the stage for a new chapter in the country’s aviation history. While most of the flights today are uncrewed, EHang and XPeng are flying with people onboard.

Aerofugia

Geely-backed flying car startup Aerofugia is making strides in Chengdu, capitalizing on the city’s status as one of the first pilot areas for the joint management of low-altitude airspace. In June, the company’s AE200 technology demonstrator (shown) completed key flight tests, marking China’s first successful full-size eVTOL tilt-propeller transitions. Before its secondstage transition flight, Aerofugia partnered with Chengdu’s municipal government to evaluate the city’s Low Altitude Traffic Management Service Platform using a Leonardo AW109 helicopter. And in October, the AE200 made its first public demonstration flight, with more tests and crewed flights planned ahead of its expected 2026 airworthiness certification. While most of the demonstration flights are uncrewed, piloted flights are expected for more of the companies in the future.

Aerofugia is adopting a phased approach to low-altitude operations. Phase 1 uses traditional helicopters for urban routes and shuttle services to scenic spots, while Phase 2 trials intercity travel with helicopters and eVTOL aircraft. Phase 3 aims for large-scale urban operations with eVTOLs to enhance accessibility.

The company has established agreements with key players, including CITIC Offshore Helicopter, Hualong Aviation and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China, to develop low-altitude travel. It has also partnered with the new fixed-base operator at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, a joint venture between Sichuan Airport Group Aviation Ground Services and Sino Jet, which plans to acquire 100 AE200 aircraft.

AutoFlight

Backed by the Berlin-based technology group Team Global, AutoFlight has gained recognition for its “world’s first” achievements, including an inter-city demonstration flight between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in February. A month later, its CarryAll cargo aircraft (V2000CG) became the first eVTOL over 1 tonne (2,200 lb) to clinch a type certification (TC).

In April, AutoFlight delivered its first five-seater Prosperity (V2000EM) eVTOL to a customer in Japan, paving the way for demonstrations at Osaka’s World Expo 2025. In May, it conducted trial flights of its 2-tonne (4,400-lb) CarryAll in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), achieving the first longdistance flight of an eVTOL over 1 tonne in the Middle East. Shortly after, the V2000CG completed a charter test flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, followed by a landmark trial flight of the Prosperity over the Yangtze River in Nanjing.

Since then, AutoFlight has secured partnerships with two industry heavyweights. In August, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd (CATL) announced an investment of “hundreds of millions of dollars” for collaboration on eVTOL battery development to enhance range and payload capacity. In September, AutoFlight partnered with French software giant Dassault Systèmes to create a comprehensive eVTOL lifecycle platform using Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX) platform.

With about 1,100 preorders and framework agreements, the company aims for airworthiness certification of its Prosperity aircraft by 2026, with air taxi operations planned for 2027 or 2028.

Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)

Given AVIC’s status as China’s largest aviation enterprise, responsible for producing virtually all of the country’s military aircraft — along with numerous civilian aviation products — it’s no surprise that this aerospace giant is venturing into eVTOL aircraft.

Unveiled at the 13th China Airshow in Zhuhai in 2021, AVIC Tongfei North China Aircraft Industry Co., Ltd., one of AVIC’s subsidiaries, announced in February that its AG-EX half-scale technology demonstrator (shown) successfully completed full tiltpropeller transition flight tests. The milestone follows the AG-EX’s inaugural flight in December 2022, which came after successful flight testing of a one-sixth-scale technology demonstrator. The five-seat AG-EX features a distributed electric propulsion (DEP) system and a vectored-thrust configuration. With a payload capacity of 450 kg (992 lb), it offers 60 minutes of endurance, a range of 200 km (124 miles), and a cruising speed of 240 km/h (150 mph). The aircraft operates in both vertical takeoff and landing and conventional flight modes, while maintaining noise levels below 65 dB during takeoff and 40 dB during cruising. While it’s still early days for the AG-EX, the aircraft is being designed for cargo and passenger transport in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

COMAC

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) is a designer and constructor of large passenger aircraft in China. Various COMAC research institutes have explored eVTOL concepts over the past few years (see, for instance, “China’s Rising eVTOL Industry,” Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2021).

COMAC’s Beijing Civil Aircraft Technology Research Center, in partnership with the Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service Co., Ltd., is developing the CE-4VT eVTOL technology demonstrator. It was among the recent winners of the 2024 "Shanghai Design 100+" Award; held in late September, the event was jointly launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Shanghai Municipal Government to recognize outstanding contributions to global design. The win qualifies the CE-4VT for special funds from the city of Shanghai aimed at supporting industrial development and cultural and creative industries.

The CE-4VT is a fixed-wing, tilt-propeller eVTOL designed for urban and intercity air mobility. It features a hybrid-electric power system that combines hydrogen fuel cells and lithium batteries, providing a range of approximately 200 km (124 miles) and seating for four passengers.

According to Chinese media reports, public bidding was held for the airframe structure and tooling of the CE-4VT demonstrator in late 2023. In January 2024, Chinese train manufacturer CRRC Qingdao Sifang won a contract worth ¥10.05M (US$1.4M). A full-scale demonstrator is expected to roll out soon.

EHang Holdings Limited

No other Chinese eVTOL company has been as prolific on the international stage as EHang. Based in Guangzhou, the manufacturer has successfully introduced a new brand of diplomacy through its flagship EH216-S pilotless eVTOL, promoted widely at home and abroad. From the World Economic Forum to engagements with leaders from Australia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UAE and more, EHang’s “eVTOL diplomacy” is paying off. To date, the EH216-S has flown in 17 countries.

Shortly after receiving an Experimental Flight Authorization Certificate (CAVE) from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) in September, the EH216-S conducted its first trial flight in Quadra (shown), a municipality in São Paulo, with local partner Gohobby Future Technologies. The milestone comes amid enhanced bilateral cooperation, with Brazilian and Chinese regulators working together to establish a roadmap for certifying new aircraft technologies and developing legislation and training for airworthiness certification.

In September, the EH216-S completed its first cross-prefecture flight in Japan, flying from Osaka to Hyogo with support from the Mizushima Aero Space Cluster (MASC). The flight followed the planned route for Expo 2025 in Osaka, where eVTOL and flying car demonstrations are set to take place, although plans for passenger flights have been scrapped. That same month also saw EH216-S flight demonstrations on Shodo Island in Kagawa Prefecture and in Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture. EHang’s activities are further bolstered by Japan’s first urban air mobility (UAM) center in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Across China, EHang is gradually expanding operations with temporary permissions to conduct small-scale demonstration flights in select locations, including Wencheng County, Wenzhou; Taiyuan, in Shanxi province; and Wanshan in Zhuhai, while advancing the development of industry clusters.

EVT Aerotechnics

Since its maiden flight in March (shown), EVT Aerotechnics’ 2-tonne (4,400-lb) eVTOL prototype, the ET9, continues to advance with the aim of commercialization within the next two to three years. In August, the aircraft successfully completed a wing static test at the Jingmen Base of the China Institute of Special Aircraft Research, followed by a free flight test in Xuzhou.

Based in Nanjing, Jiangsu, EVT Aerotechnics has integrated an Intelligent Safety Monitoring System into the five-passenger ET9, designed to continuously track critical parameters and provide early warnings for potential risks. The flight control system can process over 90% of functional modules to identify system failures. The company also employs high-power data links, 5G and satellite communication for reliable flight monitoring. To enhance battery safety, EVT Aerotechnics uses titanium-alloy clustered, multi-module packaging to isolate thermally runaway units, ensuring that redundant units can still function for safe landings. The ET9 also features automatic obstacle avoidance and anti-jamming technologies to enhance safety in complex environments.

Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) Research Institute

The GAC Research Institute, the research and development (R&D) arm of China’s fifth-largest automaker, Guangzhou Automobile Group, recently obtained a special commercial flight permit from Chinese regulators for its roadable eVTOL vehicle, the single-passenger GOVE (shown). The permit enables the institute to accelerate product development, bringing the vehicle closer to airworthiness certification and eventual commercialization. Additional plans call for investigating urban vertical transportation models and launching a flying car demonstration project by 2027, integrating both ground and air transportation across two to three cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Aside from the GOVE, the institute is developing a hybrid-wing flying car to meet intercity travel needs within the Greater Bay Area, targeting journeys of over 150 km (93 miles) in under 40 minutes.

TCab Tech 

Shanghai-based TCab Tech caught the eye of a Middle Eastern investment fund, securing $20M in a Series A round in March. The funding is aimed at launching the E20 air taxi (shown) in the Middle East.

According to Chinese media reports, TCab Tech intends to commence aircraft sales in 2026, with plans to launch international sales by 2027 or 2028. Following large-scale commercialization and certification in late 2026, early trial routes are expected in cities like Shanghai and others in the Pearl River and Yangtze River Deltas, with widespread air taxi operations anticipated by 2035.

A winner of the 2024 “Shanghai Design 100+” Award, TCab Tech’s long-term plans include developing the E20 eVTOL into a full product line, expanding to 6-seater, 8-seater, 10-seater and 20-seater models for a range of commercial applications. TCab Tech has completed four rounds of financing and has received over 200 preorders.

On Sept. 7, at the 3rd Low-Altitude Economic Development Conference in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, TCab signed strategic cooperative agreements with Anhui General Aviation Holding Group Co., Ltd., Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd., and the Wuhu Branch of Agricultural Bank of China Co., Ltd.

Vertaxi

A member of China’s “100-million-yuan club” (roughly US$14.2M), Vertaxi raised over ¥200M (around US$28.5M) in a Pre-Series B round of financing in September to advance the development of its 2-tonne Matrix 1 (M1), along with other eVTOL products. The fresh funds will also support the establishment of R&D, final assembly, manufacturing, airworthiness and operational bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta region. Vertaxi expects to receive certification for the cargo version of its M1 eVTOL by 2025, with passenger certification anticipated by 2027. In July, the company signed a ¥260M (roughly US$36M) procurement agreement with Yunnan-based Dongshan Xiyang Cultural Tourism Technology Co., Ltd. This includes ¥160M (about US$22M) for M1s to be used in low-altitude tourism, cargo transport and emergency rescue.

Volant Aerotech

Founded in 2021, Shanghai-based Volant Aerotech raised ¥100M (around US$14.2M) in its sixth funding round in June. The funds will support testing of its full-scale VE25 X1 passenger eVTOL demonstrator, the development of the AC101 aircraft and expansion into the commercial passenger transport market. The company plans to produce three to five VE25 X1 aircraft in 2025 with the goal of starting commercial test runs by 2026, pending successful certification. Volant has secured strategic cooperation agreements and letters of intent (LOIs) with seven companies for over 700 aircraft orders worth more than $2B. Key potential buyers include China Southern Airlines General Aviation, AVIC International Holding Corporation, Huaxia Feidi Technology, Ruohang Industrial Technology Group and Yalie General Aviation.

XPeng AeroHT

XPeng Motors’ aviation arm, XPeng AeroHT, is rapidly advancing in the Pearl River Delta through strategic partnerships that are enhancing the development and testing of its flying car technology. Key collaborations include working with Guangzhou’s Panyu District government to establish takeoff and landing sites at the Higher Education Mega Center and setting up the world’s first flying car production facility in partnership with the Guangzhou Development District, focusing on the X3-F air module of its Land Aircraft Carrier (shown). To boost maintenance capabilities, XPeng AeroHT has teamed up with maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) provider GAMECO. The company has also formed agreements with two subsidiaries of the Guangzhou City Investment Group to explore low-altitude industry opportunities and with Sichuan General Aviation Investment Management for flight testing, training, airspace development, and aftersales support. Its order book includes a contract for 150 units of its Land Aircraft Carrier in September, valued at nearly ¥300M (approximately US$42.7M), signed with Gaozhi Aviation and Aocheng Aviation in Hangzhou. This follows a previous preorder of 100 units from Guangdong’s Jiangmen Low-Altitude Tourism Town project. XPeng AeroHT raised US$150M in Series B1 funding in August and plans to launch pre-sales of its Land Aircraft Carrier by year-end.

Zero Gravity

Zero Gravity, with a diverse portfolio (demonstrators shown) that includes the six-seat, tilt-rotor ZG-T6, the dual-seat, multirotor ZG-ONE, the electric fixed-wing RX1E family and the four-seat RX4E under its subsidiary Ruien Aircraft Industry, aims to add one more: the ZG-ONE firefighting variant.

Announced in June, Zero Gravity is partnering with firefighting systems company Guoanda to form a joint venture that will integrate automatic firefighting technologies into eVTOL aircraft. Guoanda is investing ¥8M ($1.1M) for an 80% stake in the ¥10M (US$1.4M) venture.

Additional achievements include a partnership in Yunnan, where “hundreds” of aircraft will be deployed to support tourism. An agreement signed with the Ya’an Transportation Construction Group in late September will involve a similar initiative in Sichuan, although the number of aircraft has not been disclosed.

Based in Hefei High-tech Zone, Zero Gravity secured nearly ¥100M (US$14.2M) in its Series A funding round in August.

Information on additional Chinese eVTOL aircraft is posted at www.evtol.news/china.

About the Author

Jennifer Meszaros is a veteran aviation journalist, covering air transport and aerospace activities in the Asia Pacific region. A Canadian based in Cambodia, she also serves as an aviation advisor to Southeast Asian regulators and companies with a focus on market entry, safe operations, human resources and aircraft accident and incident investigations. She writes for Aviation International News (AIN), The Air Current and other top-tier aviation outlets.