Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, July 16 (Reporters Yao Yujie and Gong Wen) UAE company Autocraft and Chinese company Shi Technology signed a purchase agreement in Shanghai on the 16th, with an order amount of $1 billion for the purchase of 350 E20 eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft). This is the largest single eVTOL purchase order in China so far, and the first batch of orders is planned to be delivered after obtaining the airworthiness certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
eVTOL is an aerial vehicle that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter. In addition to not requiring a runway, it also has the characteristics of reducing carbon emissions and low noise. This purchase means that in the future, these "air taxis" are expected to be commercialized in multiple scenarios such as low-altitude tourism and air travel in the Middle East and North Africa.
The reporter learned from the scene that E20 is the flagship model independently developed by Shi Technology, with a wingspan of 12 meters, a tilt-rotor configuration, a designed range of 200 kilometers, a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour, and can carry 1 pilot and 4 passengers. It is aimed at inter-city and intra-city tourism, commuting, cruising, etc.
According to the cooperation plan, Autocraft will give full play to its comprehensive advantages in policy resources, geographical environment, operational practices and local markets, and combine Shi Technology's technical accumulation in eVTOL product research and development, manufacturing and system integration to jointly promote relevant pilot deployment and commercialization.
On the day of signing, Shi Technology's technical team and representatives of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority conducted in-depth technical exchanges on the airworthiness certification path, operation management rules and regulatory docking mechanism of E20 eVTOL, laying a solid foundation for the commercial application of this model in the UAE market.
Huang Yongwei, founder and CEO of Shi Technology, said that the $1 billion order is a key breakthrough for the company's overseas expansion. Next, it will work with partners to make China's low-altitude technology "fly" in more places.
