Industry Insight | Power System Mass Production, Industrial Landscape Reshaping, Safety Boundary Breakthroughs — The "Industrialization Moment" of the Low-Altitude Economy Is Arriving

A central Party newspaper emphasized that the low-altitude economy must not follow the old path of "develop first, regulate later". The East China Sea Rescue Bureau completed a 31-minute cross-sea rescue to transport a critically injured child. CATL’s 350Wh/kg aviation battery passed adjacent cell thermal runaway verification and will be first applied to AutoFlight’s manned eVTOL. XPeng AeroTh rolled off its 1,000th electric propulsion unit, setting a global eVTOL mass production record. Boeing sold three subsidiaries including Wisk to Archer in exchange for a 19.75% equity stake. The low-altitude economy has fully transitioned from "concept verification" to a new phase of "power system mass production and industrial integration".

1. Central Party Newspaper: Supply Chain Resilience Determines the "Endurance" of the Low-Altitude Economy

On August 5, the central Party newspaper Economic Daily published an article titled "Supply Chain Resilience Determines the 'Endurance' of the Low-Altitude Economy". The article pointed out that China’s low-altitude economy is at a critical stage of intensified policy support, expanding scenarios and rapidly growing industrial scale. China must absolutely not follow the old path of "develop first, regulate later", and must pursue industrial development and supply chain resilience enhancement in parallel.

The article proposed solutions across four dimensions: strengthening overall coordination, reinforcing and upgrading weak links in the chain, solidifying application scenarios, and improving full-chain risk resistance. Particularly noteworthy is the article’s finding that the overall localization rate of core components for China’s low-altitude aircraft is less than 30%, with external dependence exceeding 70% in key areas such as high-performance aviation motors and electronic control systems. The article recommended exploring pre-project resilience reviews, in-operation tracking assessments, and post-operation retrospectives for major projects such as low-altitude industrial parks, incorporating core component sourcing, airworthiness verification and data security into project feasibility studies and scenario opening conditions.

2. Life Channel in a Typhoon: East China Sea Rescue Bureau Completes 31-Minute Cross-Sea Rescue

On August 8, as Typhoon No. 13 "Dolphin" approached, the Ningde sea area was ravaged by fierce winds and towering waves, cutting off transportation between Xiyang Island in Xiapu County and the outside world. A 5-year-old boy suffered an accidental fall with suspected intracranial hemorrhage, and the island’s limited medical conditions precluded thorough examination and effective treatment.

The "B-7346" crew of the Second East China Sea Rescue Flight Team under the Ministry of Transport was urgently dispatched to the island. From helicopter takeoff to landing on the rooftop helipad of the Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, the entire journey took only 31 minutes. The boy promptly underwent a CT scan and was diagnosed with occipital bone fracture combined with intracranial hemorrhage, and was out of danger after timely treatment.

This was a textbook-level air-ground coordinated medical rescue: the helicopter landed directly on the hospital’s rooftop helipad, with the medical team standing by in advance, achieving "admission upon aircraft landing". Under extreme conditions of typhoon-induced island closure and severed land-sea transportation, the 31-minute cross-sea rescue demonstrated the irreplaceable value of low-altitude aircraft in emergency rescue — whether in normal times or extreme weather, the aerial channel remains the most efficient lifeline in multi-hazard rescue systems.

3. CATL’s 350Wh/kg Aviation Battery Passes Adjacent Cell Thermal Runaway Verification

Recently, CATL’s aviation power battery system developed for manned eVTOLs successfully passed the no-propagation verification for simultaneous thermal runaway of two adjacent cells, becoming the world’s first aviation power battery system using prismatic cells with an energy density as high as 350Wh/kg to pass this test.

During the test, adjacent cells at different positions — including middle and corner locations — were simultaneously triggered, ultimately achieving successful thermal non-propagation. This aviation battery system already has mass production capacity and will be first applied to AutoFlight’s manned eVTOL. The entire test was conducted under the witness of a CAAC-appointed representative, laying a solid foundation for helping eVTOL aircraft meet civil aviation safety standards.

From new energy vehicles to manned aviation, CATL’s breakthrough in aviation power battery safety marks a new level of safety for high-energy-density aviation batteries.

4. XPeng AeroTh Rolls Off 1,000th Electric Propulsion Unit, Setting Global eVTOL Mass Production Record

On August 10, the 1,000th electric propulsion unit for the "Land Aircraft Carrier" aircraft officially rolled off the production line at XPeng AeroTh’s flying car mass production factory, setting the global eVTOL industry record for the largest-scale production of 800V electric propulsion units. As the "power heart" of the aircraft, the electric propulsion unit comprises the electric motor and propeller, responsible for converting electrical energy into lift and thrust, with its performance directly determining the aircraft’s safety and reliability.

The production line integrates the automotive industry’s large-scale intelligent manufacturing capabilities with aviation quality management systems, with an assembly line automation rate exceeding 60% and an EOL (end-of-line testing) automation rate reaching 100%. Before rolling off the line, each electric propulsion unit must complete over 30 process inspections including communication testing, rotational speed position sensor testing, and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) testing, ensuring aviation-grade quality.

AeroTh’s full-stack self-developed ENP powertrain technology architecture features a six-in-one electric propulsion unit that deeply integrates six major subsystems: drive motor, propeller, automatic blade folding system, cooling module, motor controller and shaft gear system. Each unit delivers a peak torque exceeding 400N·m, a peak power of 70kW, and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 12.

The roll-off of the 1,000th electric propulsion unit marks AeroTh’s transition from full-stack self-development to large-scale, standardized mass production, completing the full closed loop of "design — verification — mass production" for core power systems.

5. Boeing Strategic Integration: Sells Three Subsidiaries Including Wisk to Archer

On August 10, Boeing announced the sale of three of its advanced air mobility (AAM) subsidiaries to Archer Aviation, the publicly listed eVTOL company it has invested in, while acquiring a 19.75% equity stake in the latter. The three target companies are: Wisk Aero, focused on eVTOL R&D; SkyGrid, developer of air traffic management systems; and Insitu, a drone company whose products are already in use by the U.S. military.

Founded in 2019, Wisk Aero was originally a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk — a flying car company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. Boeing fully acquired Wisk in May 2023. To date, Wisk has developed six generations of autonomous eVTOLs and completed over 1,700 flight tests cumulatively.

This deal significantly strengthens Archer’s layout in eVTOL aircraft and supporting networks, while the addition of Insitu further expands its military business footprint. For Boeing, divesting these non-core assets helps it focus on its three core businesses: commercial aircraft, defense and space.

Boeing’s move signals that the global low-altitude industrial landscape is shifting from a dispersed, capital-intensive prototype race toward a platform integration phase that unifies autonomous flight, airspace management, aircraft manufacturing and defense scenarios.

Observation & Outlook

The five updates covered in this issue of Industry Insight precisely outline the complete trajectory of the low-altitude economy, from power system mass production to industrial landscape reshaping:

The central Party newspaper’s warning about supply chain risks draws a clear bottom line for the industry — with core component localization rates below 30%, the old path of "develop first, regulate later" cannot be followed. The 31-minute cross-sea rescue practically demonstrated the irreplaceable value of low-altitude aircraft in emergency rescue. CATL’s 350Wh/kg aviation battery passing thermal runaway verification provides the safety prerequisite for large-scale eVTOL operations, as battery safety is the bottom line for manned flight. XPeng AeroTh’s roll-off of 1,000 electric propulsion units proves that eVTOL core power systems can be mass-produced like automobiles — with automation rates exceeding 60%, over 30 inspection processes, and a unit thrust-to-weight ratio of 12, eVTOLs are transitioning from "handcrafted" to "industrialized mass production". Boeing’s strategic integration reveals the deeper transformation of the global low-altitude industrial landscape — from a dispersed, capital-intensive prototype race toward a platform integration phase unifying autonomous flight, airspace management, aircraft manufacturing and defense scenarios.

The stronger the power system mass production capability, the lower the overall aircraft cost; the deeper the industrial integration, the more complete the commercial closed loop; the safer the core technology, the more secure the large-scale operations. From "concept verification" to "industrialized mass production", the "industrialization moment" of the low-altitude economy is arriving.

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