Chinese drone maker EHang expects flying taxis will enter public transport in China by 2030

"I believe that by 2030, China will likely have fixed-route air shuttle services," Conor Yang, chief financial officer of the Nasdaq-listed company, said on Tuesday. "It’s also possible that in some cities, with sufficient infrastructure such as take-off and landing points, air taxi services could emerge."

EHang and joint venture partner Hefei Heyi Aviation in March became the first companies globally to receive certification from China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) to operate autonomous passenger drones, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Guangzhou-based company is conducting trial flights in its home city and in Hefei, with plans to launch services in designated zones by the end of the year.

Its certified EH216-S model is a two-passenger eVTOL aircraft with a top speed of 130 km/h and a 30 km range. The aircraft, which first flew in the U.S. in 2020, has been in development for over six years and is currently listed on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao for 2.39 million yuan (US$331,000).

 

 

Chinese drone maker EHang expects flying taxis will enter public transport in China by 2030

EHang eVTOL

EHang plans to debut its new VT-35 model this quarter, designed for intercity, cross-bay, and cross-mountain travel. The company also aims to introduce two new battery solutions later this year and increase annual aircraft production from 300 to 1,000 units by year-end, Yang said.

China is actively promoting its low-altitude economy, defined as industries operating aerial vehicles below 1,000 meters. The sector is projected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025 and 2.5 trillion yuan by 2035, according to the CAAC. The China Low Altitude Economic Alliance estimated the country could have up to 100,000 eVTOLs in operation by 2030.