Autel EVO series is a family of foldable Chinese commercial quadcopters from Autel Robotics. The line began with the original EVO announced in 2018, expanded into the EVO II 8K, Pro, and Dual camera variants in 2020, and later continued through V3 Pro, Dual 640T, RTK, and Enterprise configurations used for aerial imaging, inspection, mapping, thermal observation, and other civil or enterprise roles.
Autel uses EVO for the original 2018 foldable drone and EVO II for the 2020 family. EVO II variants differ mainly by camera or payload package and later hardware generation; conflict reporting may identify only the broader EVO name rather than a full SKU.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| EVO | Original foldable 4K camera drone | Announced at CES 2018 with a 4K UHD 60 fps camera, 30-minute flight time, 7 km range, and 20 m/s advertised speed. Sources: Autel Robotics Announces New Aircraft EVO at CES 2018 |
| EVO II | Baseline 8K EVO II model | Announced in 2020 with a 1/2-inch 48 MP camera capable of 8K video. Sources: Autel Robotics launches EVO II Series Drone at CES 2020, Autel EVO II product page |
| EVO II Pro | 6K one-inch camera variant | The 2020 EVO II Pro used a one-inch sensor with adjustable aperture and 6K video capability. Sources: Autel Robotics launches EVO II Series Drone at CES 2020 |
| EVO II Dual | Visible and thermal camera variant | The 2020 EVO II Dual paired a thermal sensor with the same 8K camera used by the baseline EVO II. Sources: Autel Robotics launches EVO II Series Drone at CES 2020 |
| EVO II Pro V3 | Updated V3 6K camera variant | Official V3 pages list a one-inch 20 MP CMOS sensor, 6K/30 fps video, SkyLink 2.0 transmission, and tri-band communications in FCC regions. Sources: Autel EVO II Pro V3 product page, Autel EVO II Pro V3 aircraft specifications, Autel EVO II Pro V3 camera specifications |
| EVO II Dual 640T V3 | Updated V3 visible and thermal variant | Autel lists the Dual 640T V3 family with a 640 x 512 thermal sensor and 42-minute no-wind flight-time class in Enterprise configuration. Sources: Autel EVO II Dual 640T V3 product page, Autel EVO II Enterprise Specification |
| EVO II RTK Series V3 | Survey and mapping RTK variants | The RTK series includes EVO II Pro RTK and EVO II Dual 640T RTK configurations with centimeter-level positioning and 36-minute listed maximum flight time on the RTK specification page. Sources: Autel EVO II RTK Series V3 product page, Autel EVO II RTK Series Specifications |
| EVO II Enterprise V3 | Enterprise accessory and RTK-compatible configuration | Enterprise V3 adds modular accessories such as strobe, loudspeaker, spotlight, and RTK module support; Autel lists Pro Enterprise and Dual 640T Enterprise takeoff weights separately. Sources: Autel EVO II Enterprise V3 product page, Autel EVO II Enterprise Specification |
Open-source reporting on Gaza grenade-drop use describes Autel EVO drones carrying a hand grenade fitted with an iron-ball release attachment.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Hand grenade | +972 Magazine reported that soldiers in Gaza most commonly used Autel EVO drones with an iron-ball attachment that let a hand grenade be affixed and dropped by button press. Sources: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones |
 | Improvised grenade-drop tactic | +972 reported that soldiers most commonly use EVO drones produced by Autel and fit them with an iron ball attachment that lets a hand grenade be affixed and dropped with a button press. Sources: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones |
The EVO family is sold as a civil and enterprise drone line. Conflict reporting that names Autel EVO airframes generally describes operator adaptation, procurement, or payload-release attachments rather than a factory weapon configuration.
Open-source reporting identifies Autel EVO drones in Gaza and Autel EVO II-series examples in Ukraine-related material, but often does not narrow the airframe to a full commercial SKU.
The Gaza grenade-drop reporting describes a separate release attachment for a hand grenade, not an Autel-supplied weapon payload.
Autel has stated that its drones are intended for peaceful, non-violent uses and that the company does not manufacture products designed for violent application.
Autel Robotics announced the original EVO as a folding camera drone at CES 2018.
Sources: Autel Robotics Announces New Aircraft EVO at CES 2018
Autel Robotics introduced the EVO II series with 8K, 6K, and dual-thermal variants at CES 2020.
Sources: Autel Robotics launches EVO II Series Drone at CES 2020
Autel announced end-of-availability for first-generation EVO as of December 31, 2021, with repair service expected to end in June 2022.
Sources: Autel Announces End of EVO I Support Services
FCC equipment records for Autel Robotics identify EVO II V3 under FCC ID 2AGNTMDC240958A with final action dates on August 1, 2022.
Sources: FCC ID 2AGNTMDC240958A EVO II V3
Autel stated that EVO II V1 reached end of life on May 31, 2021, and EVO II V2 reached end of life on October 31, 2022, after launch of the EVO II V3 lineup.
Sources: Autel EVO II V1 and V2 Support Statement
