The race for electric aviation just got faster. CATL, the Chinese giant behind many of the world’s electric vehicles, is no longer just building car batteries. They are building the future of flight. Recently, the company outlined tests for long-range electric aircraft. Their goal? To get an eight-ton plane flying 2,000 kilometers. That is not a dream. It is a projected reality using their high-density battery technology.
To make this happen, CATL has signed a collaboration agreement with AutoFlight. This moves the needle from lab tests to actual airborne hardware. AutoFlight is already making waves. Their Prosperity eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft holds the record for the longest flight by one of these machines.
“The Prosperity, which can carry up to five people, is also undergoing certification.”
Last year, during the Paris Air Show, we saw the Prosperity. It flew over 250 kilometers on a single charge. That distance was achieved by maximizing battery autonomy with powerful energy management algorithms. Now, with CATL’s new partnership, that range is expected to explode.
The hardware behind the flight
CATL supplies power packs for heavy hitters like Tesla and BMW. But their aerospace ambitions require something more extreme. They unveiled a condensed battery rated at 500 Wh/kg. This figure is specifically targeted at the eVTOL market.
The density is the key. Higher energy density means less weight for the same amount of power. Or, conversely, more range for the same weight. CATL’s own four-tonne aircraft prototype used this battery during its test flights. It proved the tech works in real-world conditions.
AutoFlight brings the aerodynamic expertise. They started by building drones. Then they pivoted rapidly to manned flight. The progress has been startling. Earlier this year, AutoFlight got its CarryAll cargo eVTOL certified by China’s civil aviation authorities. This was a first for the company.
Specs and limitations
The Prosperity is the star here. It is a passenger-focused machine. It carries five people. The powertrain consists of ten rotors for lift and three additional propellers for forward propulsion. It is not a single-rotor helicopter. It is a distributed electric system.
Currently, the Prosperity runs on a 160 kWh battery. This setup allows for 400 kilograms of useful payload. The top speed hits 200 km/h. These are impressive numbers for a short-range urban hopper. But they are just the baseline.
When you combine CATL’s 500 Wh/kg cells with AutoFlight’s flight control systems, the math changes. Flight distances should increase dramatically. Payload capacity will likely follow suit. The timeline for these improvements is described as “record-breaking” by both companies.
Why this matters for urban air mobility
We have been hearing about flying taxis for years. Most proposals stall on battery weight. You need massive packs to lift people. Those packs are heavy. The plane needs even more power to carry them. It is a vicious cycle.
CATL’s approach breaks the cycle. By pushing energy density to 500 Wh/kg, they reduce the mass penalty. This allows for longer routes. It also allows for heavier payloads. The certification of the CarryAll shows that regulatory bodies are waking up to this technology. China’s civil aviation authority gave the nod to a cargo version. Now they are looking at the passenger Prosperity.
The goal is practical transport. Not sci-fi spectacle.
