GAC launches eVTOL brand Govy, debuts new product AirJet

GAC Group has launched a new brand for its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) business, as the low-altitude economy begins to take off in China.

The Chinese auto giant introduced its eVTOL brand Govy at an event yesterday, giving the brand's first product, the AirJet flying car, a debut.

The AirJet is Govy's first product and GAC's second flying car.

The Govy AirJet is a composite-wing flying car with flexible vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, as well as the ability to fly efficiently in the cruise phase, GAC said.

By comparison, the Gove, announced last year, features a design where the vehicle and chassis can be separated and the flying body uses a multi-rotor flight system.

The Govy AirJet uses carbon fiber composites for more than 90% of its structure and weighs only one-third the weight of a car body for the same volume, according to GAC.

GAC describes the Govy AirJet as a Robo-AirTaxi designed to meet users' diverse travel needs from ground to low altitude.

The company hopes to use the AirCar for travel needs within 20 kilometres and the Govy AirJet for travel needs within 200 kilometres.

The Govy AirJet utilizes a high-performance electric drive system developed in-house by GAC and can fly at a maximum speed of 250 km/h, according to the company.

The eVTOL has a range of more than 200 kilometres and can be quickly recharged in 30 minutes, according to GAC.

In the future, the Govy AirJet will be powered by GAC's all-solid-state batteries, which can boost the range to 400 km, it said.

GAC plans to initiate airworthiness certification for flying car products in 2025 and start building a production line to prepare for future bookings.

Aside from GAC, Changan Automobile, another local auto giant, hinted in a WeChat post on Dec 17 that it could unveil its own plans for flying cars on Dec 21.