Honda Shows eVTOL Progress at CIIE After Full-Scale F1 Demonstrator's 90-Second Maiden Flight
Why It MattersA hybrid-electric eVTOL moving into full-scale verification from a major manufacturer with an established light business jet line signals the advanced air mobility segment drawing on established aerospace and automotive players.
Honda is exhibiting at CIIE across four sectors: automobiles, motorcycles, power products and aviation, under the theme "Technology Starts to Dream, Quality Continues the Joy." In aviation, it displayed a half-scale model of its HondaJet Elite II business jet, with video presentations covering development progress on a hybrid-electric eVTOL and on a reusable rocket experimental aircraft.
Honda's full-scale eVTOL technology demonstrator, the F1, completed its maiden flight in California on April 1, lasting about 90 seconds. The company has carried out more than 400 scaled-model flight tests and has now entered the full-scale verification phase. The aircraft uses a hybrid-electric system that combines gas turbine power generation with electric propulsion and targets short-to-medium-haul intercity travel.
On the ground side, Honda showed a modified Accord with 26 years on the road and nearly 1 million kilometers on its odometer, which completed a 24-hour endurance race in 2025. Cumulative Honda automobile sales in China had surpassed 20 million units as of March 2026. The company also brought nine motorcycle models, including the CBR500R FOUR and CB500 SUPER FOUR with E-Clutch electronic clutch technology, and the CB250SS concept designed for younger Chinese riders.
