Hefei company leads way in equipment manufacturing expansion

With the start of the new year begins, equipment manufacturing enterprises in Hefei city – in East China's Anhui province – are actively seeking new orders and expanding their market presence.

The city's equipment manufacturing industry generated output value last year of 100 billion yuan ($13.92 billion), showing a 4.3 percent value-added growth rate and continued steady expansion.

One standout company based in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone, Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry (Hefei) Co Ltd, specializes in manned electric vertical take-off and landing or eVTOL vehicles.

In its latest project, the new ZG-ONE II model eVTOL flyer is currently being assembled and the company says it's set to revolutionize urban and intercity travel.

In the pristine workshop at Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry (Hefei) Co Ltd, an engineer assembles a ZG-ONE II flyer. [Photo/gxq.hefei.gov.cn]

The ZG-ONE II, equipped with autopilot functionality, can carry two people at a cruising speed of 75 kilometers an hour and deliver a maximum speed of 125 km/h, with a range of about 30 kilometers.

The vehicle is designed for various applications, including study and education, low-altitude tourism, emergency rescues and short-distance transportation.

Shi Hong, co-founder and COO of the company, said that the firm has signed agreements with several eVTOL operators for over 230 ZG-ONEs in the next five years. The company is also progressing with the model's airworthiness certification, aiming for mass production and deliveries.