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

KUNSHAN, China, Mar 6 (APP): 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.

Staff moved the Matrix from a hangar to a helipad
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.