We often take for granted how modern transportation systems have simplified our lives. In the United States of America, approximately 17 million vehicles were sold in 2019. For those not buying cars, transportation services like Uber, Lyft, and good old fashioned taxis have made getting around simple and convenient. While motor companies are constantly updating their models to reflect current trends, besides the rise in hybrid and electric vehicles, personal transportation has been pretty much standard since cars first began gracing roadways. However, some companies are trying to change that by combining the idea of personal transportation with one of the fastest growing technologies of the time, drones.

Small to medium sized drones have proven to be exceptional tools for transporting small packages. With the improvement of logistical problem solving and the lessening of FAA restrictions drone based delivery programs are slowly becoming reality. Drones are being used to transport medical supplies, small daily necessities, and even takeout meals in select areas of the US and the rest of the world. But what if drone manufacturers took the idea of a delivery drone and expanded it to be able to transport people? Several companies, like EHang and Wisk, already have working prototypes of drones large enough to carry people from one destination to another.

Huazhi Hu and Yifang Xiong founded EHang in 2014 with its headquarters in Guangzhou, China. Two years later at the Las Vegas, NV Consumer Electronics Show the EHang 184 was revealed to the world. It was the first ever autonomous aerial vehicle capable of carrying a single passenger. The self piloted drone is 12ft 8in long, 4ft 9in tall, with a wingspan of 18ft. Along the wings sit 8 propellers with 2 blades each. The drone can fly at speeds up to 81 mph with an altitude of 1,600ft and a distance range of just under 10 miles. Over the years, EHang has entered into programs to further develop the concept of personal transportation via drones with several entities. They have thousands of test flights under their wings but have yet to become a mainstream mode of transportation.

In the beginning of June 2020, EHang demonstrated their latest drone taxi, the EHang 216, in Guangzhou. This updated model is capable of carrying 2 passengers with a total payload of 485 lbs. It measures 18ft 5in long with a height of 5ft 9in. It has 16 bladed propellers that sit on 8 arms that fold up when the drone needs to be parked. It has a maximum speed of 99 mph and can travel for a distance of around 20 miles before needing to be recharged, which only takes 1 hour to complete. What made this new release particularly special, besides the upgraded model, is that fact that the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority and Civil Aviation Administration of China have granted EHang “The world’s first commercial pilot operation approval of passenger-grade AAVs (autonomous aerial vehicle) for air logistics uses,” said EHang CEO Hu Huazhi. He went on to say, “This approval is of great significance. For EHang, it enables us to enhance our first-mover advantage and accelerate the commercialization of AAV technology and air mobility solutions for logistics. It also lays a foundation for regulators around the world to jointly explore and establish a coordinated, supportive and sustainable regulatory environment. This will benefit the long-term development of the promising Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications.”

Meanwhile, in February of 2020 Wisk announced that they were moving forward with trials of their electric, self flying taxi called Cora. In 2010, Wisk began designing Cora with Kitty Hawk, one of the world’s leaders in drone management platforms. By 2017, Cora test flights began, which have accumulated to over 1,000 flights. In 2019, a joint venture between Wisk, Kitty Hawk, and Boeing was established to see that their “vision of delivering safe, everyday flight for everyone is closer than ever to becoming reality,” as explained on Wisk’s website. Cora is all electric, can carry 2 passengers, and measures 21ft long with a 36ft wingspan. The drone is able to take off and land vertically like a helicopter with 12 independent lift fans. On the rear of the fuselage is a fixed propeller that pushes the drone forward to glide like a plane. It can reach a maximum speed of 100 mph and has a travel range of about 25 miles. Like EHang, Cora can fly autonomously. However, Cora’s flight is monitored remotely by a pilot for redundancy.

Wisk also hopes that Cora will be able to work as an on-demand taxi service, getting people to their destination in record time, while minimizing their carbon footprint. Wisk CEO Gary Gysin said, “We are delighted to now have a signed agreement with the New Zealand government, which will propel Cora’s entry to the air taxi market. We see this agreement as a sign of confidence in our product and abilities to develop and deliver a safe and reliable air taxi service, starting in New Zealand.” For now, personal transportation drones won’t be parked in anyone’s driveways, or be available as readily as an Uber or Lyft ride. Customers would have to go to a designated location to catch a ride in a drone taxi. But experts are predicting that the drone taxi market could be worth billions in the very near future.

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