Xie Ling, an entrepreneur from Zhongshan, became a rising star at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), as the five-seat driverless "air taxi" he brings to the event made a shining debut.

"The aircraft completed its maiden flight in Shanghai last month and is now showcased at the CIIE, which is also its world premiere," says Xie Ling, founder of Zhongshan-based company FCourier and Shanghai-based company Vertaxi, adding that model Matrix 1, the first 2-ton-class eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) manned craft presented by Vertaxi, is the only real eVTOL aircraft showcased at this year's CIIE.

The aircraft has a wingspan of 15 meters, a fuselage length of 10 meters and a height of 3 meters. It adopts a composite-wing structure and uses pure electric power. It has a design range of 250 kilometers, a cruise speed of 200 kilometers per hour, a maximum load capacity of 500 kilograms, and can seat five people. It will be mainly used to satisfy the short-distance air travel needs in the future, reducing travel time from 2 or 3 hours to about 30 minutes. 

Vertaxi is an innovative air travel enterprise based in Shanghai, dedicated to building safe, cost-effective, green and intelligent eVTOL aircrafts. The company joins hands with Ampaire, a US-based aircraft electric power system service provider, to participate in the CIIE this year.

As a subsidiary of Vertaxi, FCourier settled down in Zhongshan's Tanzhou Town in 2018. It is mainly engaged in the research, development and production of fixed-wing drones for industrial use.