AutoFlight unveils world’s largest flying car as China races to lead low-altitude economy

Chinese aviation start-up AutoFlight, backed by electric vehicle (EV) battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), is emblematic of mainland China’s ambitions in the flying car market, part of the country’s broader push to dominate the low-altitude economy.The Shanghai-based company on Thursday unveiled Matrix, a five-tonne (11,000lbs) class electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which it described as the largest of its kind in the world after completing a flight demonstration at a testing facility in Kunshan, a city neighbouring Shanghai.The aircraft, with a 20-metre (65-foot) wingspan and dimensions of 17.1 metres long by 3.3 metres high, comes in two variants for passenger transport and heavy-duty logistics. It can carry 10 passengers, a leap in scale for an industry that has largely focused on smaller airframes weighing between 1.5 tonnes and 3 tonnes with capacities of four to six passengers.AutoFlight joins peers including Ehang, Xpeng’s flying car unit Aridge and Geely’s Aerofugia as China’s major players in commercial eVTOL applications. The country is moving quickly to set standards for domestic makers and operators, aiming to regulate the skies as the low-altitude economy takes shape.Earlier last week, 10 government departments, including the market regulator and transport ministry, jointly released guidelines to establish basic standards by 2027 and more than 300 standards by 2030. These will cover five core areas: aircraft, infrastructure, air traffic management, safety supervision and application scenarios.Passenger aircraft accounts for 70 per cent of AutoFlight’s total orders. Photo: HandoutFounded in 2017, AutoFlight was currently focused on cargo transport, but saw strong potential in passenger flights, said Xie Jia, senior vice-president of AutoFlight, in an interview.