New electric air taxi with 621-mile range debuts in Wuhan alongside other aircraft

On February 24, four distinct electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles took center stage outside the Hongshan Auditorium in Wuhan, Hubei province. This display during the first provincial meeting following the Spring Festival signals a major acceleration in the low-altitude economy of the nation.

The eVTOL sector is rapidly transitioning from a conceptual blueprint into a commercial reality, supported by deep integration with existing new energy vehicle supply chains. With industry leaders viewing 2026 as a pivotal year for mass production, domestic developers are racing to secure certification and launch commercial passenger operations.

The showcased aircraft highlight the robust aviation manufacturing heritage of Hubei, a province that generated 27.9 billion yuan in aviation revenue in 2025. Among the innovations is the E-Hawk, a ton-class vehicle featuring fully enclosed rotors capable of carrying four passengers for short-haul urban commuting. Addressing range anxiety, Wuhan Xunqi Technology presented the V1000, which uses a hybrid tilt-rotor system to achieve a flight range exceeding 1,000 kilometers. This model has already received formal design acceptance from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Meanwhile, Shi Yun Aviation presented the SW-one, an aircraft controlled via a traditional steering wheel designed for personal water sports and future tourism applications.

Beyond commuter and recreational models, the industry is pioneering critical emergency applications. Fusheng General Aviation introduced the Sparrow-X2, an airborne intensive care unit designed to accommodate a stretcher and medical monitoring equipment. This pure-electric craft reduces hourly emergency rescue costs to approximately 2,200 yuan, significantly undercutting the expenses associated with traditional helicopters.

With 547 related companies nationwide and a surge in aviation patent filings, the domestic sector is leveraging high levels of investment capital to establish a dominant global footprint in next-generation aerial mobility.