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Ehang 216-S has received certification from CAAC. (Photo/Autoevolution).
JAKARTA – The Ehang 2160S, which President Jokowi once tested in Kemayoran, is the world’s flying taxi that has received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration in China (CAAC). Providing this certification allows the Ehang 216 to operate autonomously without a pilot.
This certification is the first not only in China but also throughout the world. Because, until now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still requires all flying taxis to have a pilot for safety reasons, as quoted from Autoevolution, Monday (16/10/2023).
The Ehang 216-S is equipped with 16 electric motors. This taxi can fly at a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour and cover a distance of 30 kilometers. This taxi is capable of transporting two people and goods weighing up to 240 kilograms. The price is estimated at IDR 8 billion per unit. However, the hourly rental price is claimed to be much cheaper than helicopters because it uses environmentally friendly power.
Unfortunately, until now there is no complete information on when the Ehang 2160S flying taxi will start operating. It’s just that in the last few years, Ehang has collaborated with various countries to provide flying taxis and flight trials, one of which is Indonesia. Ehang has collaborated with Rudy Salim’s Prestige Aviation.
The Ehang 216-S certification process is considered very fast, it only took less than three years. Guangzhou manufacturer Ehang first submitted an application in early 2021. Its autonomous flight tests then began in 2017.
The extensive testing required for the certification process also includes validation testing across 65 major categories. In 2022, the company completed a demo flight tour of four cities in Japan.
What is certain is that the certification provided by CAAC paves the way not only for commercial autonomous operations but also similar certification pathways in other parts of the world. So it won’t be long before the people of China or other countries will see the Ehang 216-S on the air.
(msf)