China's 10-passenger electric aircraft, the Matrix, hints at how big flying taxis can be

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KUNSHAN, China (AP) — A glimpse of what the future of flying taxis might look like can be seen in this southeastern Chinese city.

In a hangar in Kunshan, more than 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) west of the port of Shanghai, a sort of gigantic drone was preparing for a demonstration. Called the Matrix, it's a 5-ton electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, or eVTOL, considered the largest electric aircraft built so far, at least in China.

The Chinese company AutoFlight, founded in 2017, developed the Matrix, which can carry up to 10 passengers. It has a 20-meter (about 66 foot) wingspan, and is 17.1 meters long and 3.3 meters tall. (56 feet long and 11 feet tall). It can travel for an hour without charging.

The idea is that eventually it could become a flying taxi, although the industry and experts think it will take some time.

On a recent chilly afternoon, AutoFlight conducted a flying demonstration for The Associated Press at its low-altitude flight test facility.

The eVTOL was ready: the propellers were turned on, and after a few minutes of checks to ensure everything was working, it began rising. It was noisy, but less so than a helicopter. Around 10 minutes later, and after two laps around the heliport, the Matrix returned and landed smoothly with no problems.

When would a flying taxi become a reality? A couple of years? More?

“This is a good question, but this is very tough question for me to answer,” said Steven Yang, senior vice president of AutoFlight.

The company already has a 2-ton passenger eVTOL version, but it is awaiting needed certifications.

Yang said AutoFlight hopes to get a type certificate from regulators by 2027, meaning that authorities would confirm that the aircraft design complies with safety standards. But other regulatory approvals would still be required for an operator certificate allowing the aircraft to carry passengers.

Some other companies in China are also building eVTOL aircraft. One in Guangdong province, EHANG, has already been granted a certification by authorities to offer commercial passenger services. That hasn't happened yet. Apart from permits, flying taxis are not yet cruising the skies because they need facilities to support them.

As part of what is known as the “low-altitude economy,” what is already a reality is the use of drones for food delivery, like in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking, has followed the development of the industry. He said China needs to overcome various hurdles, including guaranteeing safety, building required infrastructure and sorting out logistics such as routing.

“All of this ecosystem surrounding the technology itself is also still underdeveloped at this point,” he said. “I would say it would take at least another three years to see something more viable.”

Watching the Matrix demonstration, it seems possible to see such aircraft in the skies. But can we really foresee a future with electric flying aircraft?

“We really believe it will happen,” Yang said. “But this is not (only) AutoFlight’s job, it’s the whole ecosystem,” he added.

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Associated Press writer Kanis Leung contributed from Hong Kong.