China launches driverless air taxi capable of flying 200km on one charge

A Chinese tech company has unveiled its first-ever long-range driverless air taxi that can travel up to 200 km on a single charge.

EHang is the company working behind several eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft and their latest model VT35 is a major step forward in driverless air travel.

VT35 has two seats and with eight lift propellers, the air-taxi is capable of taking-off, flying and landing virtually anywhere without the need for a runway.

The tech company said their product is set to revolutionise the low-altitude aerial mobility ecosystem from urban to intercity corridors.

EHang revealed that after thorough design validation, R&D debugging, the VT35 has completed its transition test flight, marking a significant step in its technical breakthrough.

EHang founder and CEO Huazhi Hu said that EHang is a pioneer in pilotless eVTOL technology, adding, “We are continuously trying to offer the public safer, smarter and more accessible low-altitude transportation solutions for a greener, shared future in global civil aviation.”

The vehicle is expected to travel faster than the speed of sound, possibly reaching a speed of 990mph.

The tech company has not yet announced the global release date for their vehicle. They have announced the air taxi’s price in China at 6.5 million yuan (approximately $900,000).