As the flying car industry is taking off in many parts of the world, China is not behind in the race. Kellen Xie, the vice president of Chinese eVTOL company AutoFlight Group, recently said that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has been working hours to get the process to speed up and has been very supportive in bringing this technology to life.
The competition for supremacy in the emerging flying taxi market has intensified, attracting billions of dollars in funding from entrepreneurs throughout the globe, including the US, Europe, and most significantly, China. The USA has been doing well in this area and eVTOL has received a green light. In Europe, on the other hand, AutoFlight is still waiting for approval.
The approval of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles is currently a race among Chinese regulators. These aircraft can at very high speeds. The aircraft present an appealing option for effective transportation needs since they can take off vertically, much like helicopters, and then quickly switch to a fixed-wing configuration.
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that by 2040, the eVTOL market, which serves a variety of industries including airlines, logistics, emergency services, agricultural, tourism, and security operations, will grow to an astounding $1.5 trillion yearly.
According to the Financial Times, in March, the CAAC certified AutoFlight’s unmanned CaryAll aircraft, marking the first time regulators had authorized an eVTOL aircraft weighing more than one metric ton for flight, bringing China one step closer to that goal.
Alef Aeronautics’ Model A flying car was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in July, marking the first time in US history that a car could drive on city streets like a regular automobile. More than 2,850 reservations had been made as of March for the $300,000 car, which may begin taking to the roads by the end of 2025.