Develop material solutions for flying cars

Plastic Develop material solutions for flying cars

2025-01-14 Source: Covestro | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

Covestro has entered into a partnership with GOVY Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. (GAC). Together, they aim to develop materials for flying cars, specifically for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL).

Covestro and the Chinese automaker GAC are collaborating to make flying cars market-ready.(Image: GAC) — Covestro and the Chinese automaker GAC are collaborating to make flying cars market-ready.
(Image: GAC)

Covestro is one of eight companies that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for this collaboration. In addition to Covestro, there are other partners from the fields of AI, information technology for low-altitude flight, or suppliers of carbon fiber composites. The MOU was signed with GOVY, a newly established subsidiary of GAC dedicated to the development of eVTOL aircraft. "Our collaboration with GAC represents a significant step towards transforming urban air mobility. By leveraging Covestro's expertise in sustainable and innovative materials and GAC's leadership in the development of flying cars, we are able to come to solutions together to redefine the possibilities of urban transport," said Lily Wang, head of the engineering plastics business unit at Covestro.

Polycarbonate glazing solutions are intended to reduce vehicle weight

As part of the agreement, Covestro and GOVY will collaborate in several key areas. The main initiatives include developing polycarbonate glazing solutions to reduce vehicle weight, while maintaining high performance and safety standards, as well as developing materials for smart and efficient lighting systems tailored to the requirements of eVTOL aircraft.

China uses battery technology for eVOTL aircraft

China, in general, is making significant progress in the development of eVTOL aircraft, utilizing its domestic advancements in battery technology to integrate these innovations into urban transport systems. The potential of flying cars to reduce urban congestion, decrease pollution, and improve connectivity creates a special strategic focus on the topic. Since the flying cars developed by GAC are electrically powered, they are designed for short distances in urban traffic. Current models offer ranges of a few hundred kilometers, making them suitable for commuter travel between cities.

The collaboration will also focus on high-performance materials that enable the seamless integration of smart systems and components such as displays. A strong emphasis will also be placed on low-carbon solutions, using materials with bio-circular content attributed by mass balancing and recycled raw materials. This aims to reduce the CO2 footprint of the vehicles themselves.

"We are determined to overcome previous boundaries of innovation and make the future of mobility a reality as soon as possible," said Su Qingpeng, managing director of GOVY. "The partnership with Covestro and other industry leaders allows us to accelerate the development of our flying cars and create safe, more sustainable, and groundbreaking transportation solutions for urban environments."

Flying car prototype with a 124-miles range

At the ceremony for signing the agreement, a flying car prototype was unveiled with a range of 124 miles, which it can cover in just 40 minutes. The prototype integrates characteristics of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, combining the efficiency of conventional airplane-like forward flight with the versatility of vertical takeoff and landing of helicopters. Pre-orders for such models are expected to be available starting in 2025, ushering in a new era in personal and urban transportation.

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.