AutoFlight, an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) company, has released a video showing its battery-powered air taxi making its proof-of-concept flight to show how the promising transportation technology could transform mobility.
In an eight-minute test flight video, the full-sized Prosperity I electric air taxi is seen to take-off, transition, cruise, and land. Prosperity I was designed for transfers between parts of a city, airport commutes, connecting two nearby cities or enabling trips to the countryside while avoiding traffic on the ground. When ready for commercial flight in 2026, it is claimed that ‘a trip that takes hours by car will be reduced to about 10 minutes, without being any less safe or more expensive than a car taxi ride’.
In the latest design, new optimized lifting propellers allow for a higher hover efficiency, while the two pushing propellers that were previously on either side of the air taxi have been replaced with one center propeller with twin motors to enhance cruising abilities. This most recent design of Prosperity I is very close to the final design which will be released later this year.
