Air Taxis Fly in Packs in China; No Pilots

A group of 12 Chinese eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles took off, flew and landed together in China.

In a video from electric aerial vehicle (EAV) maker EHang, 12 flying vehicles took off together from an airfield in Hefei, China.

The video shows the vehicles all lifting straight up at the same time, flying in different groups, flying over the airfield and then all landing in a row at the same time.

The $410,00 EHang vehicle is approved for flying passengers.

The EH216-S EAV previously received a standard airworthiness certificate (AC) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the first of its kind globally for an EAV.

The long-range goal of the flying vehicles industry is to have EAVs evolve from piloted vehicles, such as the coming air taxis, to aerial vehicles that fly automatically, with no crew onboard. 

While some EAV makers such as Wisk in the U.S. are planning to start this way in the future, it is not in the most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) electric aerial vehicle planning documents.

EHang has been active in marketing its pilotless vehicles globally.

The company recently delivered an EAV to Eton, an aviation technology subsidiary of Guangzhou Development District Communications Investment Group, which is managed by the government of Huangpu District in Guangzhou.

Related:Flying Taxi Company Expands Into UAE; 100-Vehicle Sale

The plan is to use the EAV for aerial tourism in Guangzhou.

EHang also extended its operations to the United Arab Emirates including the sale of up to 100 of its EAVs.

EHang joined the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries Cluster in Abu Dhabi and formed a partnership with Wings Logistics Hub, a passenger eVTOL subsidiary of Technology Holding Company.

The cluster, led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, aims to establish Abu Dhabi as a hub for smart and autonomous vehicles. 

As part of this new agreement, Ehang plans to work with Wings Logistics to obtain local certification of its EAV in the UAE.

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