EHang to offer test rides in Austria
EHang will be offering test rides in Austria this year.
The Chinese UAV and drone manufacturer have partnered with Austrian aviation- services company FACC and mass-media firm ProSiebenSat.1 to host test rides for attendees at the 4GAMECHANGERS Festival in Vienna from the 9th to the 11th April.
EHang and FACC are also collaborating with politicians and aviation authorities to define framework conditions and regulations for introducing personal aircraft into the Austrian airspace.
FACC CEO Robert Machtlinger said: “The question is no longer whether there will be air taxis, but when? And we will be at the top of that industry.”
“Up to 100,000 air taxis are expected to be in service worldwide by 2025. Experts believe that autonomous flying will be practical even earlier than autonomous driving, since transit route design is much less complex.”
EHang is one of many companies pursuing the urban air mobility market. The company is an established drone manufacturer and is also working establish an unmanned traffic management system.
The company also predicts that the potential market for autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) may grow to more than $2 billion by the middle of the next decade. A similar study by Roland Berger estimates that the market will grow to $2 billion by 2030.
EHang Founder and CEO Mr. Huazhi HU said: “An innovative, clean drive technology combined with the growing capabilities of digitalization allows us to implement completely new, highly efficient solutions in this area.
“Given stable 5G infrastructures, autonomous flying will soon be reality, offering customers a new dimension of convenience.”
The EHang 184 passenger AAV was first revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2016. The aircraft can transport a single passenger for up to 23 minutes on a single battery charge. The aircraft was initially planned to enter service with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority in 2017 but the deal fell through.
