Currently, a Chinese group is testing a prototype of an electric flying car whose autonomy seems quite exceptional. While this is obviously not the very first eVTOL to have seen the light of day, the machine could in theory come close to what the air taxis of the future could look like.
A surprising autonomy of 200 km
While many flying car and taxi projects exist, most have not yet given satisfaction to the point of truly settling in the air of our cities. The company closest to the goal is perhaps Volocopter, having received the green light from the European Union in 2019, thus validating the development and construction process. At the start of 2024, the German company also negotiated with the city of Paris to offer its services during the Olympic Games, without success.
A Chinese company could also approach the Holy Grail, as explained by the media Car News China in an article dated December 18, 2024. The GAC group – via its Govy brand – working on his electric flying taxi (eVTOL) called AirCar and is currently testing a prototype that can accommodate up to four passengers.
The machine is equipped with an eight-axis distributed propulsion system, a 100 kW direct-drive electric fan as well as a triple-redundant heterogeneous control system. Govy also indicates a surprising autonomy of 200 km and a fast charge time of just 30 minutes. In addition, another version of the prototype is already planned, whose autonomy will approach 400 km in order to target long-distance travel.
A demonstration program for 2027
The Govy brand plans from 2025 the start of airworthiness certification concerning the AirCar but also, the establishment of production lines and the opening of reservations. However, interested customers will have to be very patient. After these first steps, the brand will launch a demonstration program in 2027, within a radius of 20 km around the cities of Hong Kong and Macau, in particular.
If the autonomy of the machine seems to be its main characteristic, other elements can be highlighted. Indeed, more than 90% of its structure is made of carbon fiber composite materials. Let us also mention the presence of an intelligent obstacle detection, decision and avoidance system, including a radar perception device, cameras, a calculation unit and a “fusion” navigation system.
China perhaps here is the real eVTOL of the future but it is up to us to wait to observe the results of the next steps set by Govy. The company, however, remained silent on the price of the air journeys that will be offered during the demonstration program.
