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Who in Chinese domestic motor industry is "involved" in the eVTOL track?

Date:2024-08-28   Author:XINDA MOTOR

Who in Chinese domestic motor industry is "involved" in the eVTOL track? How to take advantage of this trillion-dollar industry?

According to forecasts by analysts such as Morgan Stanley, the global eVTOL market will reach $1 trillion yuan by 2040.


It is too early to say who will lead this trillion-dollar travel revolution.


At present, players in the eVTOL aircraft industry are engaged in a fierce competition, competing in product research and development, flight testing, regulatory certification, brand building, and ecosystem construction.


From the perspective of the industry, it is not yet clear which leading companies in the eVTOL track will be the winners. For consumers, who will take the lead? In the near future, can the eVTOL track continue to write the "legend" story of new energy vehicles?


What we can say at present is that whoever makes technical solutions better and better, with higher and higher cost-effectiveness, and reduces the cost of travel for passengers, will have increasingly obvious advantages in the industry.


What is eVTOL?

According to the latest statistics, workers in China's major cities spend an average of 72 minutes commuting every day!


If you work in Shanghai and live in Suzhou, every day when you get off work, you may take the subway to the high-speed rail station to buy a ticket, and then take the high-speed rail home, which takes more than an hour one way. If I tell you now: there is a new mode of transportation that can take you back to your home in Suzhou from the office in half an hour, isn’t it tempting?


That's right, this new way of dream travel is the eVTOL that has become popular recently at home and abroad. eVTOL refers to electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. According to its different construction methods, eVTOL vertical take-off and landing aircraft are mainly divided into two categories: vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing eVTOL and multi-rotor eVTOL. As a new type of medium- and short-distance air transportation tool, the potential future applications of eVTOL involve urban passenger transportation (UAM), regional passenger transportation (RAM), freight, personal aircraft, emergency medical services and other scenario modes, which will provide new solutions to alleviate urban traffic congestion.


For example, from the perspective of price, a senior industry insider said that currently helicopters cost about 100 yuan per minute, while eVTOL can already be priced between 20 and 30 yuan. At the same time, pure electric aircraft will not cause pollution, whether it is emission pollution or noise pollution. As for safety and reliability, as a distributed electric propulsion eVTOL aircraft, safety redundancy can already achieve the same safety and reliability as large aircraft.


More people will certainly want such services when they are convenient, time-efficient and inexpensive, which is also an important reason for the rapid rise of eVTOL in recent years.


As an innovative mode of transportation, eVTOL has the advantages of high safety, low noise, low manufacturing cost, and low operating cost. It is small in size and does not rely on runways. It has greater freedom when flying and parking, and is more conducive to travel within cities. It is the mainstream solution for the future UAM market.


Global Market Analysis


At present, the domestic eVTOL track has gathered more than 20 to 30 companies, including Ehang Intelligent, Fengfei Aviation, Shi Technology, Wofei Changkong, Shanhe Technology, Volant, and Yufeng Future . Joby Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter, Vertical, Archer, Embraer, Beta and other companies in Europe and the United States have also launched eVTOL products.


In addition to start-ups, traditional aircraft or aircraft engine giants and automobile giants are also loyal fans of this blue ocean. Whether it is Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Geely, Toyota, Daimler, Audi, Hyundai, Honda, Xiaopeng, Aion, etc., all of them are "joining in the fun" on the eVTOL track.



 What are the problems we face?

As a new mode of transportation that is different from traditional commercial aircraft and cars, eVTOL aircraft also face some huge challenges, including noise issues, battery life, airworthiness and safety, air traffic management, professional R&D platforms and other professional and policy requirements.


A similar problem is that compared to eVTOL, general aviation aircraft need a runway to take off, which also means that a large area is needed to build a general aviation airport. However, there are only more than 300 general aviation airports in my country at present, and they are all in relatively remote areas.


In the low-altitude tourism market, such as near 5A scenic spots, it is difficult to have a general aviation airport, which requires a large amount of land and is expensive. The infrastructure required by eVTOL can be a lawn or an open space, plus a charging station. Once its application is rolled out, it can form a networked travel pattern.


However, if we were to rank the difficulty of eVTOL's technology research and development, related supporting policies, the degree of perfection of the supply chain, and the monetization of the business model, the technical test is the greatest, and it needs to be considered in conjunction with the supply chain. The second is the support at the policy level, and commercialization is the part that least needs to be considered.


Some industry insiders also said that as long as the product can meet the price and timeliness we mentioned, it will definitely sell and will definitely be a hit, so there is no need to worry too much about whether anyone will pay for it.


But it is undeniable that the current understanding of eVTOL in China has not yet reached a completely high degree of consistency, and the concepts of drones, flying cars, eVTOL, and general aviation aircraft are often confused. This is just like the hybrid stage of new energy vehicles.


Industry insiders believe that in terms of success factors, eVTOL requires certain capital support, aviation supply chain, and overall policy support, and finally a certain technical team. Only when these factors are organically combined can a good product be produced.


However, from a commercial perspective, eVTOL, like new energy vehicles, is a mobile tool that is converted to electric power, but the threshold for aircraft is relatively high, and it requires a first-mover advantage, such as the certification of the Civil Aviation Administration. This is not a "fast overtaking" that can be achieved by investing more money and employing more people. Fortunately, there is such a "first-mover advantage".


 E20 eVTOL take-off and landing field effect


Domestic eVTOL motor support

Objectively speaking, the popularity of eVTOL in China benefits from the technological spillover of new energy vehicles, especially the three-electric system.


A large number of supporting companies have emerged in China for the development of eVTOL motors, some of which have been in business for many years, while others are new. In this context, according to feedback from many insiders, compared with the whole machine, the eVTOL motor supporting can be said to be the most exposed, and the competition based on configuration, engineering and lawsuits is too weak, and price reduction is the most cost-effective for customers.

There are probably many reasons for this problem, which is also our tradition:


▶ As the whole machine is short of money, but the requirements are high (always want to get it all in one go), and at the same time they are afraid that they will become the one who fills the hole, so no matter how much engineering technology investment the domestic supporting suppliers make, it will be ineffective. Only by lowering the price can the risk concerns of customers filling the hole be relieved. Little do they know, the lower the price, the more useless it is.


▶ Many domestic eVTOL complete machine companies basically purchase supporting motors and drives from Europe to realize the flight of full-scale verification aircraft first, while waiting for the formation of domestic supporting equipment, which further reduces the amount of investment available for the accumulation of electric propulsion of the complete machine.


▶ The differentiated background of the motor supporting team is also an important reason. Some are willing to invest in R&D on their own, some are unwilling to invest, and some are still waiting for investment support. As a result, when the product or R&D testing and hardware investment are not competitive enough, some can only choose to make up for it with price. This is a denial of the value of engineers and there is no way it can last.


China's aviation commercial supporting enterprises should learn to go global. Despite the huge uncertain geopolitical risks they are currently facing, it is still important to understand that a successful commercial supporting enterprise cannot be cultivated relying solely on the Chinese market. In this regard, Tianjin Songzheng's recent series of overseas marketing efforts have set an example.



01

Jiangsu Maiji Yiwei Electric Technology Co., Ltd.  


Jiangsu Maiji Yiwei previously engaged in military high-power density wheel hub motor systems, and has already put multiple models of products into use in the military. It has also launched motor system supporting products for eVTOL, and its target customer group is similar to the military. A few days ago, it exhibited a number of aviation electric propulsion products at the China Motor Expo.



02

Wolong Electric (Shanghai) Central Research Institute


Wolong Electric has been involved in aviation power electrification for a long time. According to its official information, there are public reports on the cooperation between Wolong Electric and COMAC and Sunward Aviation. In particular, it has established an Aviation Electric Power System Innovation Center with COMAC, with the goal of developing an electric power system of 10kw-2WM. However, its specific products are not seen on the official website. This may be because the aviation business is too small for Wolong Electric, but it is a key marketing point to support future incremental development.



03

Tianjin Santroll Electric Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. 


Santroll brought its core products in multiple fields such as electric aviation, electric forklifts, electric scooters, electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, etc. to multiple international exhibitions in the United States, Germany, Turkey and other countries, and placed high hopes on the development of electric aviation supporting products. Santroll focuses on the development of electric propulsion systems with high power-to-weight ratio in the field of manned electric aviation, and has research and product applications in aircraft of different configurations such as pure electric multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing and ducted fans. At the same time, it has the ability to develop and manufacture high-power extended-range motors and drivers for hybrid drive aircraft.



04

Nanchang Sanrui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.


Sanrui Intelligent's most well-known product is T-Motor. According to its official website, it also has products related to manned power. The maximum thrust of a single propeller is at the 100kg level, which is a good choice for the current 100-kilogram-class UAVs or eVTOL scale verification opportunities.



05

Shandong Jingchuang Magnetic and Electric Industry Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.


According to the promotion of its official account, the fields involved by its high-efficiency motors include electric aircraft, new energy vehicles, electric motorcycles, special vehicles, etc. A lightweight motor with a peak power of 68kw and a weight of 13kg can be used in the electric aviation field.



06

Anhui Zhiou Drive Technology Co., Ltd.


The main development is for high-voltage power kits for UAVs. Its positioning is similar to that of T-motor, and its target customers prefer large-load UAVs, including sports-level single-person eVTOL flights.



07

 Shenzhen Arctic Owl Amorphous Power Co., Ltd.


Arctic Gull is not much different. Its power kit is mainly for large-load UAVs, and it also provides products and customized services for manned power. Arctic Gull mainly develops and produces amorphous disc high-speed motors. Amorphous disc motors have many excellent characteristics at high speeds, such as excellent electromagnetic performance, low loss, high efficiency, and high energy saving.



08

Ningbo Nuoyun Drive Technology Co., Ltd.

Nuoyun Drive is a company supported by the University of Nottingham Ningbo, relying on the Electric Propulsion Laboratory of the University of Nottingham Ningbo. Currently, there is no information about financing and products. It is committed to providing power system solutions for electric propulsion aircraft, solving the bottleneck problem of advanced power systems in the fields of electric aviation, electric propulsion eVTOL, etc., and providing high-reliability and high-safety electric drive systems for future transportation and electric propulsion aircraft.


09

Beijing Reita Technology Co., Ltd.

The founder is Hu Xuanyang, a doctoral student at the School of Vehicle and Transportation Engineering of Tsinghua University (graduation in 2023, unclear whether he has graduated yet), whose research direction involves aviation motor design. His background in Tsinghua University is mainly in the research of turbo-electric propulsion, and the company focuses on high-power density and high-reliability electric propulsion systems for aerospace. According to industrial and commercial information, the company was registered earlier, but no product-level publicity has been seen.


Other companies that are committed to motor matching include Suzhou Pengpai Electric, including motor matching suppliers within the system, which will not be introduced here.
In addition, regarding foreign motor matching, we have only seen cooperation between Safran Power and Shi, while Honeywell and Rolls-Royce Electric have maintained a high level of attention to the domestic market.


At the university research level, there are the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Key Laboratory of Aircraft Electric Propulsion of Northwestern Polytechnical University and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Key Laboratory of Multi-Electric Aircraft Electrical Systems of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.


Conclusion



At present, the domestic eVTOL motor supporting industry is mostly mixed with the drone industry. Unlike Europe and the United States, which are more focused on eVTOL supporting, how to solve this problem is a question worth thinking about.