Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s Ehang’s flying taxi

Commuters in China may soon be riding in autonomous flying taxis, soaring over busy streets and skyscrapers at the push of a button, thanks to Guangzhou-based Ehang, which describes itself as the world's first maker of passenger-grade, electric autonomous aerial vehicles.

Flying taxis have been talked about for years in China and now the buzz over Ehang’s passenger drones is rising after the start-up said “commercial flights are on the horizon”.

“We expect to operate a line of commercial flying cars in Guangzhou soon,” said Derrick Xiong Yifang, co-founder of Ehang in an interview last week.

Xiong, however, did not provide details on when commercial operations will start, how many Ehang flying cars will initially be made available and the costs involved in this major new enterprise. The company announced earlier last month that its headquarters in Guangzhou will serve as the first “urban air mobility pilot city” for its flying cars in the country.

China is pushing the adoption of new transport technologies, such as autonomous driving, to help deal with congested roads in its major cities. If Ehang successfully launches its commercial transport business, China will become the first country in the world to have a fleet of electric autonomous flying taxis serving daily commuters.