“Aerofugia Chooses Cabin Luxury Over Utility”

Geely-backed Aerofugia has chosen cabin luxury over functionary utility for its AE200 EVTOL aircraft, with the aim to offer high range car-like comfort for low-altitude flight in China, reports a press release. 

The company refers to its new design as an “Intelligent Flexible Smart Cabin” offering “a first-class experience” that includes “an intelligent lighting and fragrance system.” 

The cabin was unveiled last week at the Shanghai International Low-Altitude Economic Expo.

Jointly created by Wofei Changkong and Fuwei Group, a domestic automotive parts system supplier, the release says, “(The cabin) adheres to the concept of safety, economy and comfort by releasing a sensory enjoyment of every flight journey, while reshaping a new benchmark for eVTOL interior design.”

The release grandiloquently boasts, “Starting from the sensory needs of hearing, touch, vision and smell, (the cabin) achieves diversified functional innovations in the dynamic centre island, cloud-based seats, skylight light and shadow systems, alongside smart air stewards, creating a first-class level luxury.”

AE200 Cabin Interior

It goes on, “A centre island can be flexibly moved between the second and third rows with one click. The large countertop space is equipped with a refrigerator providing storage, armrests, charging and other diversified functions, making the air journey. The electric lifting capability makes taking and placing items easier and works in coordination with the seat’s electric armrests, to provide more comfortable and easy-to-use support and wrapping feeling. The intelligent soft luminous surface perfectly combines technological optics with skin-friendly touch, bringing a surprising experience the moment it lights up.”

It doesn’t stop there.

“The entire cabin is equipped with an intelligent ambient lighting system, designed to create a comfortable and relaxing space immersed in the starry sky. This intelligent starry sky ceiling atmosphere lighting allows passengers to look up at the bright stars in the clouds, and the diffuse lighting effects of the multi-colour, multi-mode atmosphere lighting which complement the spacious cabin space, to create a relaxing and cosy ‘third space’. Each passenger can also independently adjust the overhead reading light to create an exclusive comfortable lighting zone in open spaces.” How much of this colourful language is down to translation is uncertain.

So how does this compare to the cabins of Western-made electric air taxis? 

Having sat in various examples, for Joby, it is all about utility. Their seats and surround is more like sitting on a bus or train. Eve Air Mobility, Supernal and others have chosen a similar approach.

Archer, on the other hand, has gone more up-market inspired by its Chief Designer, Julien Montousse. In an interview with eVTOL Insights back in 2023, Montousse explained, “Midnight is a commuting plane that is not only practical and comfortable, but also awakens the human spirit. We want our customer to fully embrace the flying experience. We designed the seat to wrap around your body, so you can feel the movement of the craft and become one with the plane.”

He continued, “We also wished to create privacy for the passenger by designing a partial divider between seats, as well as offering individuality. As you step onboard, we intend to project core flight information into this divider such as your assigned seat, your name, alongside the booked destination point and take-off time.”

Montousse added, “Then there are the large panoramic windows. This was a design priority, so at 2,000 ft the passenger can clearly engage with the city below.”

Sadly, the most luxurious cabin is now no-more. This belonged to Lilium where the seating and interior experience was similar to a luxury private jet. 

Back to the AE200. 

The release continues, “The dehumidification module can intelligently sense and accurately adjust the humidity in the cabin, keeping the air dry and pleasant at all times, effectively removing moisture and avoiding odour discomfort. This fragrance system provides three smell options allowing passengers to ‘smell’ the unique scenery outside the cabin when flying over mountains, rivers, lakes and seas at low altitude.” One wonders what happens when the aircraft flies over a sewage factory.

Meanwhile, it is presumed that eVTOL companies may offer flexibility with the luxury v utility concept. It has been mooted, for example, that a Joby cabin could be upgraded for Middle East flight routes, where the expected wealthier clientele would expect a far more luxurious interior. 

For more information

https://zgh.com/aerofugia/?lang=en

(Top image: Aerofugia AE200 Cabin)

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