AutoFlight's V500 "Matrix" electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft Photo: Courtesy of AutoFlight

Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer AutoFlight on Thursday unveiled the world's first 5-ton-class eVTOL capable of carrying 10 passengers — the V5000 Matrix — completing a demonstration flight in Kunshan, East China's Jiangsu Province, the company told the Global Times.

A company representative said that current mainstream eVTOL models typically feature a takeoff weight of 1.5 to 3 tons and carry 4 to 6 passengers and the newly released Matrix marks the first time an eVTOL has reached the 5-ton class, enabling significantly higher payload capacity and extended range.

The Matrix features a 20-meter wingspan, 17.1-meter length, and 3.3-meter height, with a maximum take-off weight of 5,700 kilograms. The cabin measures 5.25 meters in length, 1.8 meters in width, and 1.85 meters in aisle height, providing 13.9 square meters of interior volume.

The Matrix all-electric version offers a maximum range of 250 kilometers, while the hybrid variant can reach up to 1,500 kilometers. The passenger model accommodates 10 people, and the cargo variant can transport goods at the ton scale, according to the company. 

AutoFlight's V5000 "Matrix" electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft Photo: Courtesy of AutoFlight

As the core carrier of the low-altitude economy, the eVTOL industry continues to expand rapidly. 2026 is expected to mark a peak year for eVTOL certification and mass production with multiple models projected to obtain type certificates and enter large-scale delivery. Industry forecasts indicate that China's eVTOL market could reach 9.5 billion yuan in 2026, according to a report by the cnni.com.cn, a news portal under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. 

The low-altitude economy has been incorporated into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. Against the backdrop, China's 10 government departments jointly released the 2025 edition of guidelines for the construction of the low-altitude economy standards system.

The guidelines stipulate that, by 2027, a low-altitude economy standards system will be established to meet the safety and healthy development needs of the sector. By 2030, more than 300 standards are expected to be in place, forming a structured, advanced, internationally compatible system that provides robust support for the safe and sustainable growth of China's low-altitude economy.