Emerging eVTOL industry boasts huge potential in China

Short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts, eVTOLs are electric-powered aircrafts that take off and land vertically, and are sometimes referred to as air taxis. Over the past few years, China has witnessed robust development of the eVTOL industry.

Recently, in a general aviation airport in Zigong city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, a six-seater eVTOL with a wing span of 16 meters and a takeoff weight of 2.5 tonnes completed multiple tuning tests in the air.

Photo shows eVTOLs of AutoFlight, a Shanghai-based aviation technology firm. (Photo courtesy of AutoFlight)

"This is the first passenger-carrying eVTOL project accepted by the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)," said Dong Ming, CEO of Volant Aerotech, an eVTOL company based in Shanghai.

Dong went on to introduce that this eVTOL is suitable for short-distance transportation of 200 to 400 kilometers. Currently, pre-orders from China alone have exceeded 700 units.

"Compared to helicopters, eVTOLs are electric-powered and intelligent, and support unmanned operations," said Wang Zhanchao, executive deputy director of the civil aircraft system engineering research center of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Wang explained that eVTOLs are powered by batteries, resulting in lower operation costs and are environmentally friendly. The design of eVTOLs may incorporate multi-axis, multi-motor methods and parachutes, which enhances the safety of the vehicle.

Thanks to the robust development of aviation, new energy vehicles, 5G, and artificial intelligence, domestically produced eVTOLs have accumulated many technological advantages these years.

"China has formed an industrial chain that includes system, component supply, aircraft research and manufacturing, and applications in different scenarios," said Qin Rui, director of the low-altitude economy and low-altitude traffic research center at Civil Aviation University of China.

Incomplete statistics showed that China has more than 20 domestically made eVTOL models. The EH216-S developed by EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle based in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, has been awarded the world's first type certificate, airworthiness certificate, and production certificate for a passenger-carrying autonomous aerial vehicle by the CAAC.

EVTOL has significant potential in passenger transportation, emergency rescue, logistics and delivery, and low-altitude tourism.

An eVTOL of AutoFlight, a Shanghai-based aviation technology firm, recently completed its first flight across the Yangtze River, covering a distance of over 20 kilometers in just 5 minutes, which is about one-fifth of the time it would take to drive the same distance.

"Passenger transportation may be the most promising application scenario for eVTOLs," said Wang. He said eVTOLs can effectively alleviate ground traffic congestion and help foster new business models such as urban air mobility and short-distance intercity air transportation.

According to estimates by a research institution, China's eVTOL market size reached 980 million yuan (about $137.79 million) last year and is projected to grow to 1.72 billion yuan in 2024. By 2040, the global eVTOL market is expected to exceed 1 trillion dollars, with China's market share anticipated to account for over 20 percent of the total.