Flying taxis could be used for public transport within the next five years in China, according Conor Yang, Chief Financial Officer of Chinese passenger drone maker EHang Holdings. “I believe that by 2030, China will likely have fixed-route air shuttle services,” he said in an interview. “It’s also possible that in some cities, with sufficient infrastructure such as take-off and landing points, air taxi services could emerge.” The Nasdaq-listed developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility and joint venture partner Hefei Heyi Aviation in March became the first companies in the world to receive certification to operate autonomous passenger drones. Yang said EHang was conducting trial flights in Guangzhou and Hefei to collect and analyze data before it starts operating in designated areas in these two cities by the end of this year. The Guangzhou-based company has received certification for its twin-passenger EH216-S aircraft, which has a top speed of 130 km/h and a range of 30 km. The EH216-S is available for CNY2.39 million on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao.
“We are seeing strong interest in our services overseas, particularly in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and even Latin America,” Yang said. He added that EHang was in discussions with Thailand’s civil aviation authorities to operate eVTOLs in designated areas in the country after it completed its maiden passenger flight in Bangkok in November. Beijing has taken many steps in recent months to accelerate the development of the low-altitude economy – businesses operating aerial vehicles below 1,000 meters. China’s low-altitude economy is predicted to be worth CNY1.5 trillion by 2025 and reach CNY2.5 trillion by 2035. By 2030, China could have 100,000 eVTOLs, the China Low Altitude Economic Alliance, an industry body, estimated last year. Some of China’s biggest carmakers, such as FAW Group, Geely Auto and Tesla rival Xpeng, are also keen on entering the flying taxi segment.
“The overall landscape is quite large and it can’t be dominated by just one company,” said Yang. “Of course, we are very confident that we will continue to be the leader.” Late last year, EHang tied up with state-owned Changan Automobile to undertake R&D, manufacturing, sales, and operations of eVTOLs. The companies also said they would consider forming a joint venture to develop technologies. EHang will launch an upgraded version of its lift-and-cruise VT-30 eVTOL aircraft called the VT-35 this quarter, with plans to operate the longer range drone on intercity, cross-bay and cross-mountain routes. Later in the year, Yang said the company would unveil at least two battery solutions developed in partnership with a leading Chinese manufacturer, without disclosing its name. EHang and Gotion signed a deal in 2023 to co-develop battery products for eVTOLs, including cells, packs, storage systems and charging facilities. There were also plans to expand the annual aircraft production capacity to 1,000 units by the end of the year from 300 at present, the South China Morning Post reports.
