China has successfully completed the world’s first test flight of an electric air taxi in its quest to revolutionise inter-city travel.
The demonstration, organised by AutoFlight, the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) maker, was carried out between the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai, on 27th February.
The aircraft, named the “Shengshi Long”, took off from the Shekou Cruise Homeport platform at exactly 5:00pm.
It ascended to an altitude of 320 feet and continued towards its destination.
Within minutes, it disappeared from the sight of on-site spectators.
Throughout the flight, helicopters accompanied and continuously filmed the aircraft’s manoeuvres, presenting a spectacular scene of various aircraft types merging in flight.
Approximately 20 minutes later, it successfully landed at Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port.
It marked an important milestone towards a future where its China-based developers hope will be easily comparable to regular, ground taxis.
The event was a joint effort between eVTOL companies, air traffic companies, government management departments, airspace management departments, civil aviation management agencies, etc., and successfully realised the integration of eVTOL technology.
Often referred to as the “Sky Taxi” or “Aerial Taxi,” the eVTOL operates without the need for traditional airports and runways.
Similar to helicopters, it can vertically take off and transition to fixed-wing flight mode for high-speed cruising in the air.
It is an all-electric, environmentally friendly, quiet, and comfortable mode of transportation.
Passengers would be able to conveniently book a ride through a phone app, enabling fast travel within cities and intercity journeys.
The “Shengshi Long” is an eVTOL model independently developed by Fengfei Aviation.
It has a maximum range of 250 kilometres (155 miles), a maximum cruise speed of 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour, and can carry up to five people.
Compared to helicopters, eVTOL has advantages such as high safety, low passenger costs, low maintenance costs, lower noise, and modern computers.
It has become an important segment in the future urban air transportation industry and a sought-after industrial highland globally.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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