He emphasized that the Guangzhou-based firm is at a stage of commercialization, and to ensure flight safety, it will adopt stringent quality standards in production.
What sets this drone apart from similar devices, or conventional eVTOL aircraft, is that it has a lift of 5,500 m, can operate in temperature as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and withstand gales on a Beaufort scale of seven.
As they lead the way in the development of eVTOL models and airworthiness certification, state-run players like AVIC Corporation have joined in, driven by the promising future of an urban air mobility network, with eVTOL at its core.
China's eVTOL industry, albeit nascent, has been growing rapidly, driven by the prospect of a bigger role for more environment-friendly forms of transport in the future urban air mobility (UAM) network.
China's eVTOL space is indeed gaining traction over recent months. A development outline issued by the country's three ministries and civil aviation administration mandates that by 2025, eVTOL aircraft is to be operated on a trial basis.
According to TCab Tech, the first flight signals the completion of a series of steps for E20, now still a prototype, namely, from design to development, to manufacturing and eventually actual operation.
AutoFlight said in a corporate statement that compared to firefighting drones in the market, Carryall has achieved major breakthroughs in load capacity, endurance, range, flight and firefighting efficiency.
Specifically, it will take steps to realize intra-city smart logistics, cargo transportation between urban and rural areas, and inter-city "half-day arrival" -- meaning order fulfilment within half a day, instead of the mainstream "same-day arrival."
Hefei has since become a magnet to companies in emerging sectors, thanks to its daring vote of confidence in incipient segments which it believes represent the future -- eVTOL included.