ePlane unveils India’s first full-scale eVTOL prototype – a milestone in urban air mobility
Chennai-headquartered The ePlane Company has completed assembly of its full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the e200X. The prototype, designated PT-01, integrates the aircraft's core subsystems into a single structure, moving the design from simulation into physical testing.
The e200X is designed as a single airframe to serve three markets: a passenger air taxi, an urban cargo carrier, and an air ambulance. According to the company, this is the first full-scale eVTOL to undergo ground and flight tests in India.
Satya Chakravarthy, Founder of The ePlane Company, stated: “This announcement is about the reveal of our first full scale working prototype, which we have been putting through ground tests in the last couple of months as just an airframe but have come to the point of fitting the vertical and forward propulsion units as in the full aircraft for further ground testing with them followed by flight tests in the next couple of months.” He added that this is the first step towards two more prototypes expected by early next year, which will undergo flight tests for certification.
A completed full-scale airframe is a decisive stage in any aircraft programme, as it validates manufacturing feasibility, tooling, supply chain, and subsystem integration. The e200X will now enter ground testing, where the structure and onboard systems are subjected to aerodynamic and mechanical loads, followed by flight testing and pursuit of Type Certification.
The e200X has been designed and assembled at ePlane’s own facilities, with major systems—propellers, airframe structure, landing gear, and battery pack—developed in-house. This vertical integration gives ePlane control over performance, cost, and iteration speed, unlike many developers relying on global supply chains.
In May 2023, the company received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the first private company in India to do so. It has also applied for Type Certification for the propeller and the eVTOL aircraft itself. Mr. Chakravarthy said: “We expect the propeller TC to be obtained by the end of this year, and the aircraft TC by next year end or a couple of months later.”
Regarding vertiport and charging infrastructure, Mr. Chakravarthy noted that the e200X has the most compact footprint among eVTOLs worldwide, allowing use of existing helipads as vertiports. The charging infrastructure is the same as that used for long-distance electric buses and trucks, so the main challenge is locating existing chargers at existing helipads.
