The development of air taxis powers on through.

 

The Chinese aviation startup EHang has unveiled its vision of future air taxis by introducing two-person electric drones.

 

The company just got its operational flight permit from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Society for its EHang 216 in Norway and has got into a cooperation agreement with the administration of the city of Seville in Spain to advance with its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) pilot program.

 

The expectation for the company is that they build their presence in Europe and create future flight routes.

 

What is Urban Air Mobility?

 

Coordinating with the government of Seville the plan is for them and EHang to make Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which includes air logistics, passenger transportation and command and control platforms for the city in Spain.

 

According to the EHang, this is the first operational flight license with the EHang 216 model issued by the civil aviation organization in Europe. The test will take place in northern Norway, close to the border with Russia, at Elvenes Airport. It’s a perfect location for test flights as the region is sparsely populated with new airspace.

 

Moreover, Norway is the ideal place to start tests as the country is very active with the prospect of our airspace and encourages clean aviation.

 

The plan is for EHang to experiment and explore how its Autonomous Aviation Vehicle (AAV) system can provide safe, autonomous flights. This project will collect real-time data thanks to its control and command platforms. The tests will also involve point-to-point delivery, maintenance and inspection of wind-power plant servicing.

 

Hu Huazhi, founder, chief executive, and chairman of EHang stated “In the new surge of the growth of the oil industry in Norway, EHang expects to invest in the O&G industry with our AAV technologies to lessen costs and increase efficiencies, and encourage the use of green energy.”

 

He further said “In the last two years, we have proven strategic partnerships with respected European partners such as FACC, Vodafone and the ProSiebenSat.1 Group. We wish to work with more strategic partners and assist them with our autonomous, safe and eco-friendly air mobility solutions.”

 

EHang became openly listed on the Nasdaq in 2019, and since then it’s been encouraging its eVTOL system worldwide. It lately received its first special flight authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and carried its first-ever test flight of the EHang 216 in the U.S.

 

Seville, Spain, has signed an agreement with EHang to be the first city in Spain to have a UAM pilot program. Both the aviation startups and city will work together on test flights, in accordance with European and Spanish legislation.

 

These drones could be the future of urban mobility, keeping cities advanced, intelligent and sustainable.