What if the first flying taxi was Chinese? Beijing officially delivered the world’s first certification for an electric flying vehicle on Friday October 13. It is developed by a Chinese startup, and this announcement further opens the road towards commercial operation of these taxis in the country.
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The EH216 drone taxi created by the company EHang includes sixteen propellers surrounding a cabin that can hold two passengers but no pilot is necessary since it is an autonomous aircraft. The flying taxi received a certificate proving its safety and airworthiness from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The startup claims more than 40,000 test flights of the device and maximum security, this is what Hu Huazhi, CEO of EHang, recently explained on Chinese television.
“ The objective is to ensure the safety of air vehicles. No matter which part or component is defective, our drones can still manage normal flight and safe landing. I think stable equipment programmed with perfect codes can be much more reliable than humans. »
This paves the way for use by the general public. The next step will include operational qualification exams conducted by the Chinese administration. Wou Wouadji hopes to launch operations in the short term. This would be a new world first for the Chinese startup founded in 2014 and considered one of the world leaders in urban air mobility.
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(And with AFP)