Autel Robotics stole the show this year in the drone section of CES with the release of the highly anticipated EVO II series of compact folding drones. All together, Autel released three new drones – the EVO II, the EVO II Pro, and the EVO II Dual. Two years ago Autel released the original EVO drone which quickly became stiff competition to DJI's Mavic series drones. Autel is opening 2020 with a big bang, and the drone industry is loving the new technology, innovation, and competition amongst consumer and prosumer level drones in an area of the industry that has been dominated by DJI with their Mavic 2 Series. Let's get right into the three EVO II models that were released this week.
Autel EVO II: 8K Video & 48MP Stills
The standard EVO II model is the first and only consumer folding drone to feature 8K video and still imagery capabilities at 48 megapixels. This is quite an achievement as the EVO II becomes the first consumer-grade camera, aerial or ground, to achieve 8K video. Capturing content at 8000x6000 gives content creators and photographers alike greater flexibility to work with EVO II footage in post without making any sacrifices to quality and resolution. In addition, optical, in-camera zoom of 4X gives operators the ability to narrow in subjects without losing resolution.
Autel EVO II Pro: 1" Sensor & Adjustable Aperture
The Autel EVO II Pro caters to professional photographers and prosumers looking for the ultimate footage by making use of the Pro model's 1" Sony IMX383 Sensor. This sensor provides an adjustable aperture from f/2.8 all of the way up to f/11. While the standard EVO II tops out at 48MP, the Pro model takes 20MP stills, which is still plenty of resolution to work with even for large canvas or metal prints. The adjustable aperture and intuitive camera controls make the EVO II Pro a content creator's dream come true. Lastly, a common question we've already been receiving from mapping pilots is, "Does the EVO II have a mechanical or rolling shutter?" The answer is, the EVO II has an electronic rolling shutter.
Autel EVO II Dual: FLIR Boson 640 Thermal + 8K
The EVO II Dual is the most impressive model of the new EVO II series, featuring a FLIR Boson 640x512 Thermal Camera along with an 8K camera for stills and just short of that for video. Autel designed the Dual Model for enterprise use cases, specifically public safety, construction, and inspection by enabling drone pilots to finally have a compact and folding drone that can capture high resolution thermal imagery combined with 8K standard imagery. This model stacks up as very tough competition to DJI's Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual model which has been our most popular thermal drone at Advexure.
Below is an example of a 640x512 still image in thermal mode captured by the EVO II Dual's FLIR Boson Thermal/Infrared Sensor.
Most Impressive EVO II Features
- 40 Minute Battery: Longest battery life of any foldable drone.
- 8K Video: First consumer grade aerial or ground camera at 8K.
- 5.5+ Mile Range: Incredible control range.
- 640 Thermal Resolution: First compact, folding drone with 640 frame size.
- Interchangeable Cameras: You are no longer stuck with one drone for one use.
There's a lot to love about the new EVO II, but the above five features are those that really distinguish the EVO II from it's competitors. Aside from those, Obstacle Avoidance which is aided by 12 computer vision sensors on the EVO II create omni-directional protection. This system begins detecting potential hazards up to 100 feet away.
EVO II Flight Time
How long does it fly? That's always the number one question! The EVO II's 7,100mAh battery yields a maximum flight time of 40 minutes, which place the EVO II in a class of its own. Yes, that spec is probably in perfect conditions, but even so at 35 minutes the EVO II is still the longest flying 8K folding drone on the market. It's also worth noting that Autel has a patented Battlock system like no other drone that ensures its battery remains seated and locked even during maneuvers at 45mph or that occasion hard landing...they happen to the best of us.
EVO II Pricing & Availability
EVO II Pricing
The EVO II is in the midst of production as we speak and will be arriving into Advexure's facilities soon! Amongst the three different EVO II models, there are six kit and bundle packages that we offer.
EVO II (8K Camera, 1/2" Sensor): $1,495
EVO II Rugged Bundle: $1,795
EVO II Pro (6K Camera, 1" Sensor): $1,795
EVO II Pro Rugged Bundle: $2,095
EVO II Dual (640 Thermal + 8K Camera): Starts around $9k, request a quote
For official pricing on the EVO II Dual for your agency or company please request a quote or give our team a call at (424) 317-4450 as online pricing is restricted for this model.
Batteries for the EVO II series are $219.
EVO II Availability
The Autel EVO II is now in stock! Shop the entire series: Autel EVO II Drone Series
EVO II Interchangeable Cameras
One of the most exciting features of the EVO II series is you are never locked in having to use one type of your camera with your aircraft. Autel is designed the EVO II with an interchangeable camera system which makes swapping, upgrading, or simply replacing your EVO II camera very easy.
You can purchase the EVO II cameras by themselves and removing and installing a new camera/gimbal is as simple as removing four screws. For instructions on removing your EVO II camera please view the Autel Evo II - How to Remove the Camera and Gimbal video by FlytPath.
EVO II Camera Only Pricing
Below please find links and pricing for each of the three gimbal/camera only options for the EVO II series.
EVO II 8K Gimbal/Camera Only: $579
EVO II 6K Gimbal/Camera Only: $879
EVO II Thermal 640 + 8K Gimbal Camera Only: $8,399
