In South China’s largest urban center, Guangzhou, the modes of transportation are multi-layered. The first layer is a sprawling metro network underground with a total length longer than that of New York’s subway. The second layer consists of several expressways on the ground and major thoroughfares intersecting the city to divert traffic. The third layer is a swirl of flyovers and interchanges above ground, there to serve as shortcuts and alternative lines to tackle congestion. Coming soon will be a fourth layer of flying EHang passenger drones in the air to ferry people and parcels around the city.
With nearly three million private cars in Guangzhou, the first three layers were not enough. The city is a commerce and manufacturing boomtown, which means tailbacks along truck routes are only getting longer. Because of that, commuting is becoming a crawl with everyone stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. The idea of a fleet of compact helicopters and passenger drones is nothing short of a dream come true.
Here’s where local tech startup EHang steps in to get them over the congestion. EHang’s novel autonomous aerial vehicles are planned to take to the skies in this crowded Chinese metropolis by 2021. The company has drones and mini helicopters designed to fly at low altitudes over major roads around the city. They will ferry people and parcels to their destinations without traffic issues.
EHang’s piloted low-altitude air transportation service will be a new transportation revolution! The company plans to construct a cluster of docking stations and helipads for vertical take-off and landing so people can get on and off all around the city.
Founder Hu Huazhi, who came up with the idea of putting a seat in what looked like an enlarged drone, said:
Passengers can hop on a drone at a designated station downtown, or book a flight on our app, with charges almost the same as hailing a taxi in the city.
The stations will be strategically placed throughout Guangzhou’s commercial precincts with the backing of local authorities. The city is keen to facilitate this new mode of transportation as it aims to lead the advent of flying cars. It wants to be a pioneer in the new era of air mobility!
