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Autoflight, an electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft developer, achieved the world's first formation flight of three autonomous eVTOL aircraft on July 26 in Shanghai. Three of the company's Prosperity I aircraft completed the formation, marking a milestone in the aviation industry because it signaled another step toward the commercial use of eVTOL aircraft. With energy consumption levels comparable to those of an electric car, eVTOL aircraft, which require no fixed facilities such as airports and runways, are widely considered to be the future of transportation. They are quieter than helicopters, and more affordable, and are expected to be widely used for travel within cities and between them. Autoflight, which has dual headquarters in Augsburg, Germany and Shanghai, has been leading the development of eVTOL aircraft with prototypes including its Prosperity I. The vehicle is a fixed-wing aircraft that uses rotors to lift it vertically at takeoff before using its wings during horizontal flight. With its first proof-of-concept prototype built and flown in Shanghai at the end of 2021, the aircraft has undergone four generations of development and set a record for the longest single-charge flight by an eVTOL craft in February after traveling 250.3 kilometers. Following the historic formation flight on Thursday, Autoflight plans to make its prototypes into products, with a cargo version set to be released in Asia next year, and a passenger version to be gradually developed in the coming years, the company said in a press release. "We aim to complement urban and regional means of transport for all people by building very safe, quiet, and affordable air taxis," said Tian Yu, the founder of Autoflight, who has decades of experience in developing and delivering remotely piloted aircraft at an immense scale.
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