Chinese company AutoFlight currently holds the record for the world’s longest eVTOL flight, covering 155.7 miles (250.6 km), which it set in 2023 with the spectacular Prosperity air taxi, designed by former McLaren and Lilium design king Frank Stephenson. Now its robust battery and range-maximizing technology is set for a major boost, as the company has signed a collaboration agreement with CATL, the global battery leader that has brought some of the most energy-dense battery offerings to market. That 155-mile feat will surely be dwarfed by whatever else this powerful duo produces in the future.
AutoFlight announced this month that it has signed an exclusive investment and cooperation agreement to partner on joint research and development of battery technology for aviation. Under the agreement, CATL will also invest hundreds of millions of dollars in AutoFlight.
This is great news, and it’s hard to imagine another merger between two companies in the eVTOL space creating such a buzz. Not only is CATL the world’s largest battery manufacturer and a supplier to major automakers around the world, including Tesla, BMW and Toyota, but it is also developing some of the world’s most energy-dense batteries, including a 500 Wh/kg condenser battery for the eVTOL market.
In July, CATL announced that it had conducted a test flight of a 4-ton aircraft using the battery. Even more impressive: ChinaDaily reported at the time that CATL was convinced that battery technology would be capable of achieving a currently unimaginable range of 2,000 to 3,000 km (1,240 to 1,865 miles) in an 8-ton electric aircraft within a few years.
AutoFlight
By partnering with AutoFlight, CATL is officially establishing its presence in the eVTOL market, where its long-range battery performance could be particularly groundbreaking. And the company is betting big money on a promising horse.
In just three years, we have seen AutoFlight make the transition from drones to air taxis with a first prototype in 2021, how a world-renowned chief automotive designer in Stephenson evolved the design into the impressive Prosperity eVTOL passenger aircraft, how quickly the Prosperity proof-of-concept achieved transition flight, and how quickly other milestones such as the 155-mile distance record and the “world’s first intercity air taxi flight” were achieved.
AutoFlight
AutoFlight also received type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its CarryAll cargo aircraft earlier this year, claiming to be the world’s first one-ton class eVTOL. The company has since applied for type certification for the five-seat eVTOL taxi Prosperity.
In its current form, Prosperity is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers. It has ten lifting propellers and three pusher propellers powered by a 160 kWh battery to carry a payload of up to 400 kg (880 lb). It reaches a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) and has a range of 250 km.
Just last week, Prosperity completed a successful test flight over China’s Yangtze River in the city of Nanjing. The flight demonstrated the absolute FOMO-generating and traffic-reducing potential of eVTOL technology in general, turning a 25-minute, 20 km (12.4 mile) ride over the bridge into a direct, five-minute, 5.5 km (3.4 mile) lift-and-cruise.
AutoFlight
Going forward, AutoFlight and CATL plan to combine their resources and technical expertise to improve the energy density and overall performance of eVTOL batteries, enabling longer flight distances and higher payload capacities. The additional funding will also enable the company to accelerate further research and development and certification of the Prosperity air taxi.
Source: AutoFlight
