HIEN Aero Technologies

HIEN Aero Technologies is a Japanese aerospace company developing scalable hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), often called flying cars. The company aims to make future air mobility more practical by addressing the limited flight time and operational constraints of battery-only aircraft. Its series-hybrid system uses a gas turbine to generate electricity, which powers electric propellers, reducing dependence on heavy batteries and targeting longer flights, greater payload capacity, and higher aircraft utilization.

HIEN is advancing its products through a step-by-step development program, beginning with unmanned aircraft and progressing toward crewed eVTOLs. Its large-drone project, HIEN Dr-One, is being developed with twin DRAGON gas-turbine generators; planned specifications include a maximum 20-kilogram cargo load and a 180-kilometer range. In March 2024, the company reported a successful autonomous hover test of its HIEN Dr-One V2 prototype. Longer-term planned aircraft include HIEN 2 and the six-seat HIEN 6, as well as HIEN X.