The eVTOL industry has been proving particularly dynamic over the past few months. More and more companies are interested in the development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft which could represent a new form of mobility for short-haul travel, especially within large cities; congested by traffic, at least for those who can & agrave; afford it since the flights will certainly not cost little. Several car manufacturers have also entered this sector: you cannot & ograve; do not remember for example Hyundai, which aims to launch its first eVTOL by 2028.
From China now comes the news that AutoFlight , a company specializing in the development of eVTOLs, is accelerating its expansion plans. This company, in fact, has announced that it has opened its first office in Europe and, specifically, a research and development center in Germany, near the Augsburg airport. The first task of the team led by former Airbus manager Mark R. Henning will be & agrave; to obtain the certification of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the flying taxi & quot; Prosperity I & quot; .
It is an eVTOL that will be able to accommodate up to three passengers on board in addition to the pilot. The autonomy of this aircraft, according to the company & agrave; Chinese, goes up to 250 km . The goal is to obtain the necessary certifications by 2025 to be able to launch it on the European market. AutoFlight plans to locate other test sites across Europe over time.
While no other future specs have been mentioned, “Prosperity I”, the first images suggest it comes strictly from V1500M model equipped with a carbon fiber fuselage and capable of carrying a total of 4 people (maximum take-off weight of 1,500 kg). The aircraft & egrave; able to reach a speed; maximum cruising speed of 200 km/h.
AutoFlight, please note, is based in Shanghai and & egrave; was founded by Tian Yu who also created the company & agrave; Yuneec which deals with consumer drones. Last fall, the company & agrave; took its V1500M model into flight with the aim of obtaining the necessary certifications in China to be able to launch it on the market. The same thing it is doing in Germany right now.
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