ePlane reveals first full-scale e200X eVTOL aircraft prototype
The aircraft will undergo ground testing before certified flight trials targeted for mid-2027 and has secured commitments for more than 800 units.
The ePlane Company, an aerospace startup incubated at IIT Madras, has unveiled the first full-scale prototype of its electric aircraft, the e200X (PT-01), at its newly established 60,000 sq. ft. production facility in Chennai. The unveiling comes after the company received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2023 and represents a key step in its certification programme, with certified flight testing scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
The e200X is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed for urban transport. Measuring 8 metres by 11 metres and weighing 2.2 tonnes, it is built entirely from carbon fibre and is among the most compact winged passenger eVTOL aircraft developed to date. Its compact size is intended to allow operations from existing infrastructure such as helipads and open spaces, with the potential for rooftop operations in the future.
The aircraft can carry one pilot and either two passengers or up to 200 kg of cargo. It has an operational range of 110 km and uses an 800-volt distributed electric propulsion system. The aircraft is built around the company's patented "Synergistic Lift" wing architecture, which uses separate propulsion systems for vertical lift and forward flight instead of tilt rotors.
According to the company, the e200X has received commitments for more than 800 aircraft, with a significant share of the demand coming from emergency medical transport, where it is expected to reduce patient transfer times compared with road transport.
The prototype is powered by an 800V electrical architecture designed to reduce wiring weight, improve thermal management and enable faster charging. It is also equipped with NVIDIA's IGX Thor computing platform for sensor fusion and HENSOLDT's navigation and situational awareness systems. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) provides the software for the aircraft's battery management systems and predictive fleet analytics.
The e200X is the company's first full-scale aircraft and builds on its earlier ATVA and e50 platforms. Together, these programmes have completed more than 10,000 km of cumulative test flights over the past five years.
The PT-01 prototype will now undergo ground testing before progressing to full-scale flight trials. The company is targeting certified test flights in mid-2027 as part of the aircraft's type certification programme.
