Flying Taxis To Take The World By Storm! How Far Can We Go?

No, we do not have flying taxis in Malaysia just yet, but our neighbouring country, Indonesia, will be testing its first flying taxi, Ehang 216 in Bali, this coming October.

Indonesian car importer Prestige Image Motorcars has announced that it will bring in EHang 216 developed by Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. in early April.

The company has decided to conduct test flights in Bali, Indonesia, as it is expected to be part of the latest attraction on the world-class holiday island.

"According to the plan, it will be tested in Bali this October. However, we are still managing the flight permit approval procedure and other matters," said Prestige Image Motorcars President Director Rudi Salim.

Ehang 216 is equipped with two seats and can carry a maximum load of 220 kilograms with a speed of 130 km per hour.

It has eight arms, each fitted with two electric motors connected to propellers.

This allows it to be driven at a speed of 130 km/h (maximum speed reaches 160 km/h), while the onboard battery can go a distance of around 35 km.

More importantly, it does not require the services of a pilot to fly this machine. It also uses 100 percent electric power to reduce environmental pollution caused by smoke emissions.

It stands at 5.61 meters wide and 1.77 meters high, capable of taking off and landing vertically. This means it does not require much space to operate.

Going back in time, it is said that the EHang 216 was the prototype of Malaysia's first flying vehicle, Super Dron.

The vehicle was supposed to be tested in November 2021. Still, there was a change of plans as the vehicle did not fly by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

However, EHang 216 is said to be suitable for modern transportation for the urban population.