CATL-backed Autoflight unveils water-based vertiport to expand eVTOL network
Autoflight, backed by CATL, has unveiled a water-based vertiport, marking the first integrated sea-air solution in the eVTOL sector. This innovation extends eVTOL infrastructure to water areas, addressing challenges like site selection and complex operations. The solution supports various applications, including energy platform maintenance and sea-air tourism. Autoflight, a pioneer in eVTOL, has accumulated 2,000 commercial orders and showcased its capabilities with a public flight demonstration. CATL's investment highlights its expansion into electric marine and aircraft sectors.
- This marks the first integrated sea-air solution in the eVTOL sector, extending eVTOL infrastructure to water areas.
- To date, Autoflight has accumulated commercial orders totaling 2,000 units.
Autoflight, a Chinese eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) startup backed by battery giant CATL (HKG: 3750, SHE: 300750), has unveiled a water-based vertiport to deploy electric air taxis beyond land-based locations.
Autoflight today unveiled the solution -- jointly developed with CATL -- as a battery-powered vessel integrating an eVTOL landing platform, photovoltaic energy storage and charging systems, dispatch capabilities, and communication infrastructure.
This marks the eVTOL sector's first integrated sea-air solution, extending eVTOL infrastructure to water bodies to address challenges including difficult site selection, slow deployment, and complex takeoff/landing operations, Autoflight said.
Join us on Telegram or Google News
The solution supports five primary application scenarios: energy platform maintenance, emergency rescue, high-frequency commuting, sea-air tourism, and mobile vertiport clusters.
Designed specifically for eVTOL operations, the vertiport employs all-electric power to support eVTOL takeoff, landing, and charging while enabling data sharing and coordination with the aircraft.
Autoflight, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Shanghai, is one of China's earliest eVTOL companies, aiming to provide air logistics and air mobility solutions.
On August 3, 2024, CATL signed an agreement with the company to exclusively invest hundreds of millions of dollars in it, becoming a strategic investor.
This marked CATL's first publicly disclosed investment in an eVTOL manufacturer as the world's largest battery manufacturer expands beyond electric vehicles (EVs) into new areas.
Autoflight's current product lineup primarily consists of heavy-tonnage eVTOLs, including the Prosperity, CarryAll, Albatross, and White Shark.
To date, the company has accumulated 2,000 commercial orders, said Kellen Xie, senior vice president of Autoflight, at an event in Kunshan, Jiangsu today.
Autoflight conducted the inaugural public flight demonstration of its integrated air-sea solution at Dianshan Lakein Kunshan, where a 2-ton eVTOL completed vertical takeoff and landing from the vertiport, followed by an automated return flight.
The company also showcased multi-aircraft formation flight capabilities, with three 2-ton eVTOLs executing a live-load airdrop mission involving cargo delivery and life raft deployment.
The integrated sea-air solution demonstrates CATL's battery potential across broader applications as the company expands its business coverage from passenger vehicles to commercial, electric marine, and electric aircraft sectors.
Since entering the marine electrification field in 2017, CATL has delivered batteries for over 860 electric and hybrid vessels, according to the company.
CATL expects its batteries to power electric aircraft with up to 3,000 km range
CATL has successfully test flown a 4-ton civil electric aircraft and expects to release an 8-ton electric aircraft in 2027-2028.
