The ePlane Company has unveiled the e200X (PT-01), the first full-scale prototype of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The IIT Madras-incubated startup expects to begin flight testing the aircraft around mid-2027 — later than its previous plan to start full-scale testing in early 2026.
The unveiling took place at ePlane's new 60,000-square-foot production facility at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus in Chennai. The e200X is being developed for passenger taxi, cargo, and air ambulance services.
What is the e200X?
eVTOL aircraft, commonly called flying taxis, take off and land vertically like helicopters before switching to forward flight, allowing them to operate without a runway.
The e200X has a carbon-fibre composite airframe, a maximum weight of 2.2 tonnes, and measures eight by 11 metres. It is designed to carry a pilot and either two passengers or up to 200 kg of cargo, with a targeted range of 110 km.
How it's built to operate
The aircraft's compact size is intended to let it operate from existing helipads and open lots, cutting the need for dedicated landing infrastructure. Any use of urban rooftops would depend on regulatory and infrastructure approvals, the company said.
The e200X runs on an 800-volt system powering several electric motors. Instead of propellers that rotate between vertical and forward flight, it uses separate, fixed propellers for each mode — a design ePlane says reduces mechanical complexity and lets other motors keep running if one fails.
Testing timeline and the delay
PT-01 has not yet flown. It will undergo ground tests before flight trials, which ePlane expects to begin around mid-2027 — a schedule pushed back from the company's earlier plan to start full-scale testing in early 2026.
Founder and technical lead Satya Chakravarthy told The Times of India that initial flights will be conducted without a pilot. "PT-01 shifts us from subscale testing straight into full-scale validation," Chakravarthy said.
The full-scale prototype follows extensive trials of ePlane's smaller ATVA and e50 test aircraft, which have together completed more than 10,000 km of test flights, according to the company.
Regulatory status
ePlane received Design Organisation Approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in May 2023. This recognises the company's capability and processes for designing aircraft — it does not certify the PT-01 for commercial operations. The aircraft must complete testing and receive certification before it can carry passengers.
Company background
The ePlane Company was founded in 2019 by IIT Madras professor Satya Chakravarthy and Pranjal Mehta. The company has raised $21.5 million from investors including Speciale Invest, Antares Ventures, Micelio Mobility, and Naval Ravikant.
Certification, not the unveiling, is the gate that determines when — or whether — the e200X carries a paying passenger. Until ground and flight tests clear that bar, mid-2027 remains a target rather than a guarantee, as the shift from an early-2026 plan already shows.
