The ePlane Company, a start-up incubated out of the Indian Institute of Technology—Madras (IIT-M), showcased its electric flying taxi prototype at Aero India in Bengaluru.
The flying taxi, named e200, will enable commuters to travel 10 times faster by beating traffic. It claims to be capable of transporting up to 50 kg of payload per trip over a 200-kilometer travel range on a single charge. The two-seater vehicle is human-piloted and offers affordable travel. This prototype that the company presented at Aero India is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL).
The company was founded by Satya Chakravarthy and Pranjal Mehta in 2017. While Mr. Mehta is the chief executive officer (CEO) of ePlane, Mr. Chakravarthy is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
ePlane said on its website that its flying taxi is about the size of an SUV and doesn’t need much space to land. It weighs 200 kg and is equipped with four ducted fans, which act as propellers.
Mr. Chakravarthy claimed the E200 to be India’s first compact electric flying taxi and that it could travel up to 200 kilometres once fully charged. “It is up to 10 times faster than a road-based vehicle like a taxi and has a 160 kph cruise speed and a top speed of 200 kph.” “It can carry two people, including a pilot, or 200 kg of luggage”
The e200 will be offered in two variants: Cargo and Intra-city commute. Its designs and the prototype have to go through the certification process with aviation regulator DGCA before it can be commercially launched.
The ePlane company stated that its goal is to replace road taxis at a comparable price. However, it will start working on the price after all the approvals are done and once ePlane is ready to launch the flying taxi. The launch is expected to take place next year.
