China Still Out Front With eVTOL Progression China was the first country in the world to have an eVTOL fully certified and operating. This was the EHang eVTOL. Another company called AutoFlight has now joined EHang in the full-certification realm which makes two Chinese eVTOL airframers that possess three key airworthiness certifications in China. The rest of the eVTOL world are still in the developmental, testing and certification stages for their respective aircraft.
EHang and AutoFlight are just the first two Chinese eVTOL airframers but there are a slew of other companies that are currently testing. With the conducive and friendly regulatory and infrastructural framework in place, more Chinese companies are going to bring their eVTOLs into service before Western interests can field their respective exploits.
China has dedicated training and testing spaces for eVTOL maturation. One such location is Suzhou’s Shengze Lake Full-Space Unmanned Systems Demonstration Island. It is a 28-acre island, that allows for testing of a multiplicity of systems including eVTOL. It is China’s first comprehensive hub for uncrewed air, land, and water systems, offers dedicated eVTOL test platforms, drone pads, and an integrated operations center for testing, training, and demonstrations in real-world conditions.
A few other Chinese eVTOL manufacturers at various stages in the race include WeSky with their piloted, four-passenger W280 eVTOL. There is also the Honghu Mark 1 eVTOL aircraft by TransFuture Aviation. Aerofugia with their AE200 eVTOL aircraft is targeting certification in 2026. ***
