CATL Wins Exclusive Battery Deal for Blue Vector Skyla V30 Aircraft
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CATL has signed strategic and product agreements with Hangzhou-based Blue Vector Intelligent Technology to serve as the exclusive battery partner for its commercial passenger aircraft.
Announced by the battery maker on Monday, the tie-up focuses on the Skyla V30, an all-electric tiltrotor model that has secured more than 100 pre-sales orders since its global debut in July.
Under the agreement, CATL will develop custom aviation batteries for the six-seat aircraft. The companies did not disclose financial terms, battery specifications or a delivery schedule.
Validating the Skyla V30 Platform
Engineering work on the airframe is already moving beyond initial digital design. Blue Vector rolled out its first full-scale technology demonstrator, designated A/C01, on August 31 in Harbin in northeastern China.
The demonstrator airframe has entered a testing sequence covering systems integration, ground trials and tilt-transition flights. Those trials will test the transition between vertical lift and horizontal forward flight, which forms the core technical challenge for tiltrotor electric craft designed for intercity transit.
Commercial demand is building ahead of type certification. Blue Vector booked pre-sales commitments for 60 V30 aircraft at the Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou on September 24.
Singapore-based aviation operator Moon Aero accounted for 30 of those aircraft, representing the platform’s first overseas pre-sales customer. That booking brought total advance orders past 100 units as the company conducts airworthiness validation with Chinese civil aviation regulators.
“Under the agreement, CATL will develop custom aviation batteries for the six-seat aircraft.”
Capital Structure and Production Targets
Development work relies on fresh venture backing secured over the past two quarters. Blue Vector closed a funding round of more than 100 million yuan ($14.9 million) on June 30, led jointly by Shenzhen Capital Group and an unnamed industrial dollar fund.
That transaction marked the company’s fifth capital injection in roughly six months. Across that period, the startup collected more than 400 million yuan to finance aircraft development, prototype construction and test flights.
Securing an exclusive battery partnership before airworthiness certification freezes the aircraft’s internal layout. For aircraft manufacturers, battery weight, thermal management and energy density dictate maximum payload and cabin configuration. Swapping pack suppliers later in the certification pipeline resets regulatory approvals, locking airframe designers into their chosen cell platform.
For CATL, the deal locks in a captive customer across passenger transit routes in eastern China and regional hubs like Singapore. Operating intercity routes between regional cities demands high cycle life and rapid charging turnaround times at terminal pads, creating recurring replacement demand for specialized aviation-grade cells.
Building Out Electric Aviation Across China
The Blue Vector contract expands CATL’s ongoing effort to position its battery systems across the electric vertical takeoff and landing sector. In August 2024, the battery maker agreed to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Shanghai-based aircraft manufacturer Autoflight to co-develop aviation packs.
That collaboration extended into terminal infrastructure late last year. In November 2025, Autoflight and CATL revealed a floating vertiport vessel that integrates passenger landing pads, battery storage and high-power charging systems onto a marine barge, providing water-based terminal access for coastal cities.
Blue Vector must now clear tilt-transition flight trials in Harbin and advance formal airworthiness certification for the Skyla V30 before delivering the first production units to Moon Aero and domestic operators.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the current development status of the Skyla V30 aircraft?
What is the current development status of the Skyla V30 aircraft?
Blue Vector rolled out its full-scale technology demonstrator, designated A/C01, on 31 August in Harbin. The demonstrator has entered testing for systems integration, ground trials and tilt-transition flights between vertical lift and horizontal forward flight ahead of type certification with Chinese regulators.
Q.Who has placed pre-orders for the aircraft so far?
Who has placed pre-orders for the aircraft so far?
Blue Vector has secured more than 100 advance orders, including a commitment for 60 units booked in Hangzhou on 24 September. Singapore-based operator Moon Aero agreed to take 30 of those aircraft, becoming the platform's first overseas customer alongside domestic buyers.
Q.Why was the battery partnership finalised before regulatory certification?
Why was the battery partnership finalised before regulatory certification?
Battery weight, energy density and thermal management determine an aircraft's maximum payload and internal layout. Agreeing on a supplier early avoids costly redesigns, as changing battery packs later in the certification pipeline resets regulatory approvals and disrupts airworthiness validation.
Q.How is Blue Vector financing the aircraft's development and testing?
How is Blue Vector financing the aircraft's development and testing?
The startup gathered more than 400 million yuan across five capital injections in roughly six months. This included a funding round of over 100 million yuan on 30 June, led by Shenzhen Capital Group and an industrial dollar fund, to finance development and test flights.
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