Drone or flying taxi, electric vehicle with vertical take-off and landing - there's no shortage of terms to describe eVTOL, the urban transport of the future. Over the next decade, this new mode of urban mobility is set to revolutionise short journeys in often saturated metropolises. American, European and Chinese companies are all lining up to take part.
However, China seems to be outpacing the rest of the world. A study by China Merchants Securities shows that China currently produces 50% of all models eVTOL in the world. Far behind are the United States (18 %) and Germany (8 %). Within Europe, according to a TechSoResearch report, the main eVTOL producing countries are Germany (18%), France (14%), Spain (12%) and Italy (10%).
According to the Nikkei Asia Review, Chinese companies such as XPeng and EHang are going to start marketing flying cars this year. Their aim is to take advantage of China's technological supremacy in the production of electric cars and batteries. And so conquer the rest of the planet.
Half car, half plane
XPeng AeroHT aims to produce a hybrid vehicle. Its eVTOL project will not only fly, but can also be used on the ground. The future vehicle would have a detachable flying module. The CAAC, China's civil aviation authority, has begun the process of certifying the vehicle, a necessary step before it can be marketed to the public.
XPeng is confident of this: the company has announced that it will be accepting pre-orders on the Chinese market from October this year. A launch of the series production is expected in 2025. The eVTOL is expected to cost around $140,000. But the company believes that large-scale production should eventually divide the price by 4 or 5.
For its part, EHang has, certified of its EH216-S model last October. This model will offer trips with a range of 25 minutes. In March, EHang received authorisation for series production. This was followed by the official launch on 1 April. The entry ticket is expensive: 410,000 dollars...
The ambitious Chinese company is working on another eVTOL. It would incorporate a folding flight propeller stored on top of the vehicle when it is used for road travel. A concept prototype was presented at Las Vegas in January.
Define the rules of use
The giant Guangzhou Automobile Group is now expected to enter the eVTOL market. This company is working on a vehicle that is part car, part flying taxi, with the aircraft part separated from the vehicle chassis. Trials are scheduled for 2025.
The era of the flying taxi is therefore drawing ever closer. All that remains now is to define the rules of usethe operating sites. And above all, to train drivers to operate these machines. This is likely to take a few more years. For some time to come, the skies over major cities will remain relatively untouched by these futuristic flying vehicles.
