Automobile Desk: To get rid of the long traffic jams on the roads, now the eyes of the whole world are towards the sky. The dream of flying cars and air taxis, which was once seen only in science-fiction films, is now standing on the threshold of becoming reality. Along with China, America, Japan and Britain, work on this future technology is going on at a very fast pace in India too. In technical language, these vehicles are called 'eVTOL' i.e. Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft. They run completely on electricity and do not require any long runway to take off, rather they rise straight up like a helicopter and then travel forward like an aeroplane.
At present, in this new race, China seems to be ahead compared to other countries. Chinese company EHang's two-seat pilotless aircraft EH216-S has received all the three major approvals required from the local administration for design, production and starting commercial passenger service. The company has completed 17 consecutive months of successful test flights in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei by August 2026. Apart from this, the five-seater aircraft 'Prosperity' of another Chinese company AutoFlight covered a distance of more than 133 kilometers by making a 47-minute mass flight of five aircraft simultaneously in November 2026. At the same time, leading EV manufacturer XPeng is also planning to launch its two-seater electric flying car in the market by the year 2027.
There is a lot of excitement regarding air taxi projects in America also. Joby Aviation has passed three levels of US aviation regulator FAA's five-step approval process for its four-passenger, one-pilot capacity S4 model. The company will begin testing with a pilot in early 2027 and has also completed its second station in Dubai. On the other hand, Archer Aviation's 'Midnight' aircraft has also received special permission to conduct tests with a pilot in Los Angeles on November 9, 2026, with the aim of providing services during the 2028 Olympics. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's company Tesla unveiled its second generation Roadster on October 16. Equipped with cold-gas thrusters, the car can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h in just 0.81 seconds and is capable of jumping into the air, production of which will begin in 2028.
Japanese and British companies are also not lagging behind in this race. Japan's SkyDrive has completed more than 300 test flights of its SD-05 model and aims to launch service by 2028. Britain's Vertical Aerospace has also successfully tested its 'Valo' aircraft in April 2026.
Talking about India, indigenous companies are doing wonders here too. Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation has completed more than 500 tests and more than 18 hours of flight time on the half-size model weighing 700 kg, taking steps towards its six-seater project 'Shunya' in July 2026. In August 2026, the company also got the approval of the design organization from DGCA. At the same time, The ePlane Company of Chennai has introduced its full-size prototype 'e200X', which can seat one pilot and two passengers. The company first wants to launch it as an air ambulance and its flight testing is expected to start from April 2027.
However, these flying vehicles will have to overcome many major challenges before becoming a part of the everyday lives of common people. Heavy battery weight, limited range, establishing safe air routes in urban areas, building vertiports and developing affordable charging facilities with low noise is still a big task. According to data from the US government organization GAO, electric aircraft charging stations have been included in the plans of 47 airports in the US by December 2025. After completion of all safety standards and government approvals, it is expected that air taxi service will start for common passengers in many parts of the world by the year 2028.