The electric commercial aircraft of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker, will have its maiden flight by the end of this year, said CATL’s founder Zeng Yuqun at a battery conference on Sunday.
The timeline is much faster than the company’s previous plan of debuting the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, by 2027 or 2028.
Zeng disclosed in June, as China Daily first reported, that the company plans to launch an 8-ton eVTOL with an expected flight range of around 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers.
CATL has already conducted test flights with its 4-ton eVTOL, and the samples and panel line product are already put into the aircraft, he disclosed.