Fly above traffic! THIS Chinese firm tests electric flying taxi in Dubai

Tired of traffic on roads? Worry no more as commuters will soon be able to fly above traffic as THIS Chinese firm tests electric flying taxi in Dubai, reports AP.

Image Source: Twitter (AP)

To reduce carbon emission and avoid traffic on roads, a Chinese firm tested out an electric flying taxi in Dubai, offering a glimpse of futuristic technology that could one day whisk people through cities high above any traffic. The XPeng X2, developed by the Guangzhou-based XPeng Inc's aviation affiliate, is one of dozens of flying car projects around the world. Only a handful have been successfully tested with passengers on board, and it will likely be many years before any are put into service. This demonstration was held with an empty cockpit, but the company says it carried out a manned flight test in July 2021.

Chinese firm tests electric flying taxi in Dubai https://t.co/TmopIdNq76 pic.twitter.com/o0Cyl2e6aP

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 10, 2022

The sleekly designed vehicle can carry two passengers and is powered by a set of eight propellers. The company says it has a top speed of 130 km (80 miles) per hour. Unlike airplanes and helicopters, eVTOL, or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles offer quick point-to-point personal travel, at least in principle.

The pilot-less vehicles could one day ferry passengers across town high above congested roadways. But the sector still faces major challenges, including battery life, air traffic control and safety, and infrastructure issues.

In May, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that India will have urban air mobility in the form of eVTOL across the country once the trials in the United States and Canada are over. 

"In the days to come, much like the robots we saw today, we hopefully will have Urban Air Mobility in the form of EVTOLs across the length and breadth of our country," Scindia stated. The Union Minister further said India is already in conversation with a number of producers in the US and Canada. Scindia explained that the civil aviation technology will be first adopted by the air force, "And when that becomes proof of concept, then it can permeate into the civil space," the Minister said at an event. 

(With inputs from AP)