Chennai-based The ePlane Company has unveiled India’s first full-scale eVTOL aircraft prototype, PT-01, at IIT Madras Discovery Campus. The electric aircraft can travel around 110 km on a single charge and is expected to begin ground testing next year. Commercial operations, starting with medical services, are planned for 2028.
India has taken a major step toward urban air mobility with Chennai-based startup The ePlane Company unveiling the country's first full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft prototype. Incubated at IIT Madras, the company revealed the aircraft, named PT-01, at its newly opened production facility on the IIT Madras Discovery Campus. Ground testing is expected to begin next year, with commercial operations targeted for 2028. The company plans to first deploy the aircraft for emergency medical services before expanding into passenger air taxi operations.
What exactly is an eVTOL aircraft?
An eVTOL aircraft combines the vertical lift ability of a helicopter with the forward-flight efficiency of a fixed-wing plane. Instead of relying on runways, these aircraft use multiple electric motors and propellers powered by onboard batteries to take off, cruise and land. The PT-01 weighs approximately 2.2 tonnes, has an eight-metre wingspan, and is built to travel around 110 kilometres on a single charge. According to the company, its compact size would let it operate from existing hospital helipads and rooftops without the need for extensive new infrastructure.
Why the company is starting with air ambulances
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