Autoflight, a Chinese eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company backed by battery manufacturer CATL, has introduced a water-based vertiport designed to support electric air taxi operations in locations where land-based infrastructure is limited.
The system, jointly developed with CATL, functions as a battery-powered vessel equipped with a landing platform, photovoltaic energy storage, charging systems, dispatch tools, and communication equipment. According to Autoflight, the concept is intended to address constraints such as site selection challenges, slower deployment timelines, and operational complexities on land.
The company said the solution is designed for several application areas, including energy platform maintenance, emergency response, commuting, tourism, and mobile vertiport clusters. The platform uses electric power for takeoff, landing, and charging, with data-sharing capabilities to coordinate with aircraft systems.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Shanghai, Autoflight develops air logistics and air mobility technologies and currently produces several heavy-tonnage eVTOL models, including the Prosperity, CarryAll, Albatross, and White Shark.
CATL became a strategic investor in August 2024 after agreeing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Autoflight, marking its first publicly disclosed investment in an eVTOL manufacturer. A
t an event in Kunshan, Jiangsu, senior vice president Kellen Xie said the company has received 2,000 commercial orders to date and described a recent demonstration in which “a 2-ton eVTOL completed vertical takeoff and landing from the water-based vertiport before returning autonomously.” Autoflight also conducted a multi-aircraft formation flight showcasing cargo airdrop capabilities. CATL said its broader expansion efforts now include marine and aviation applications, noting it has delivered batteries for more than 860 electric and hybrid vessels since 2017.
