CHENNAI: Crossing a significant milestone, homegrown aerospace startup The ePlane Company has built a first full-scale prototype of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a development that moves the IIT Madras-incubated firm from prototype development to certification testing.
Unveiling the prototype, christened e200X (PT-01), the company said it is eying commercial operations in the emerging urban air mobility market.
The prototype will now undergo extensive ground tests before entering certified flight trials around mid-2027, said senior executives. The initial flights will be conducted without a pilot as part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's type certification process. Commercial passenger services can begin only after the aircraft secures regulatory certification.
As per the original schedule, the company was targeting full-scale flight testing by early 2026.
Built entirely from carbon fibre, the 2.2-tonne aircraft measures 8 metres by 11 metres, and is designed to operate from existing helipads and other compact landing spaces. It can carry one pilot and two passengers or up to 200 kg of cargo, has an operational range of 110 km, and is powered by an 800-volt distributed electric propulsion system built around the company's patented "Synergistic Lift" architecture, which eliminates tilt rotors by using separate propulsion systems for vertical lift and forward flight.
"PT-01 shifts us from subscale testing straight into full-scale validation," said Satya Chakravarthy, founder and Technical Lead.
The company said it has already secured commitments for more than 800 aircraft, with a substantial share intended for emergency medical services, where electric air mobility is expected to significantly cut patient transfer times.
The e200X integrates NVIDIA's IGX Thor computing platform for onboard computing, HENSOLDT's navigation and situational awareness systems, while Tata Consultancy Services has developed its battery management software and predictive fleet analytics platform.
Founded in 2019 by Prof Chakravarthy and Pranjal Mehta, The ePlane Company received the DGCA's Design Organisation Approval in 2023, validating its aircraft design capabilities. Its earlier ATVA and e50 demonstrators have collectively logged more than 10,000 km of flight testing, laying the foundation for the PT-01 programme.