China's electric 'flying taxi' completes first inter-city flight

Dubbed a "flying taxi", the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developed by Chinese high-tech company AutoFlight has completed a major milestone in urban air transport with the world's first inter-city flight on February 27.

The flight departed from Shekou Cruise Home Port in Shenzhen to Jiuzhou Port in Zhuhai, both in Guangdong Province (South China). It took about 20 minutes for the flight of more than 55 kilometers, much faster than the usual journey of about 3 hours by car.

The eVTOL aircraft developed by AutoFlight is 100% domestically produced and named Prosperity. With a maximum operating range of 250 km, the electric Prosperity is capable of carrying 5 people at speeds of up to 200 km/h.

Prosperity uses pure electric power, can take off vertically like a helicopter, then switch to fixed-wing flight mode in the air like a traditional aircraft.

Smart, comfortable and environmentally friendly mobility makes this "flying taxi" one of the ideal options for urban and inter-city transportation.

Tian Yu, founder and CEO of AutoFlight, said the company plans to work with local authorities and partners around the world to make eVTOL aircraft safe, efficient, sustainable and accessible in cities around the world.

Mr. Tian said that one of AutoFlight's partners, Heli-Eastern, has agreed to buy 100 Prosperity flying taxis. Heli-Eastern is a large corporation that specializes in providing helicopter and air transportation services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in China.

Hua Yu (Source: Chinadaily, Eastmoney)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/taxi-bay-dien-trung-quoc-hoan-thanh-chuyen-bay-lien-thanh-pho-dau-tien-ar855780.html