AutoFlight has successfully completed a cross-city voyage from Shenzhen to Jiuzhou with its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as an air taxi demonstration. 

The company’s Prosperity eVTOL was first unveiled at the 2023 Paris Airshow and can carry 5 passengers, has a range of 250km and can travel at speeds of up to 200km/h. The company is collaborating with the regional government to develop future routes as part of a low-altitude economy plan that will allow the infrastructure development of many vertiports for eVTOL aircraft across southern China. These scenarios will include passenger transport, logistics, tourism, and emergency services planned for operational rollout by 2026. AutoFlight has already secured an agreement to supply 100 of its Prosperity aircraft to a regional partner Heli-Eastern, an established low-altitude helicopter services provider.

The Prosperity forms part of a group of eVTOLs that will be launched over the next two years, including Lilium’s eVTOL, Archer Aviation’s Midnight, and Ehang’s EH216. Central to the successful launch of the various eVTOLs will be lightweighting initiatives to reduce aircraft weight, and eVTOL developers have embraced the use of composite materials, such as carbon fibre, towards this effort. Research suggests that up to 80% of composite materials in eVTOL aircraft will be used for structural applications, while interior applications such as beams, and seating will account for a further 14%, with composites having a 70% eVTOL market penetration.

Another critical lightweighting strategy is to reduce overall battery volumes, which can be achieved by increasing the energy density of battery materials or by increasing the efficiency of the components such as the electric motor. Electric motors using neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets are already a pivotal technology to help improve range, efficiency and performance in ground-based electric vehicles (EVs). With light-weighting more critical in aviation, NdFeB-based motors are likely to dominate. China’s robust domestic rare-earth extraction, processing and rare earth permanent magnet industry will allow Chinese eVTOL manufacturers to be well placed to gain a competitive advantage in terms of raw material costs and supply availability.