Step Aside, Uber: Drone Taxis May Be The Next Big Thing

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN has been talking about the commercial use of drones for quite some time now. However, in a recent interview, CEO Jeff Bezos assured artificial intelligence (AI) is the next big thing. Nonetheless, Chinese firm Ehang might disagree with this idea; in fact, the company is betting on drone taxis as the next attention-grabbing innovation in a move that could remind readers of Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG’s autonomous car initiative or Zee.Aero's flying car.

The Ehang 184

Back in January, Ehang, a cameras and drones maker, presented its electric passenger drone, the Ehang 184. Now, the Chinese corporation has partnered with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (Goed) to test the vehicle and, ultimately, get regulatory approval.

Related Link: Could We Have Flying Cars Before Driverless Ones?

Ehang’s drone is the world’s first passenger drone, and can autonomously carry (meaning the passenger does not drive) a person in the air for 23 minutes, reaching altitudes of up to 3.5 km (11,500 feet) and speeds of up to 100kmph (63mph). Testing in Nevada is expected to begin later this year, and will be aimed at proving, to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that its airworthy.

Check out this awesome project in the video below:

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no positions in any of the securities mentioned above, but highly suggests reading this article while listening to "The Jetsons" theme.