Another leading carmaker is entering the advanced air mobility market. Volkswagen’s Chinese subsidiary this week confirmed its intention to develop an eVTOL aircraft. Plans unveiled in Beijing on July 27 show an early prototype of a four-passenger eVTOL that the company says will be able to fly up to 200 kilometers (125 miles). It will feature eight rotors installed on an X-wing structure and a pair of propellers for cruise flight.
According to Volkswagen Group (China), the design has been developed by the Air Mobility Project, which the company launched in 2020. A press statement indicates that the flight testing with the first demonstrator model, designated V.MO, could start during the second half of this year, with an improved prototype to be prepared for “a higher standard of flight test” in the summer of 2023. The company has not published a projected timeline for certification and market entry.
