Saudi Arabia unveils world’s first self-driving flying taxi

  • Saudi Arabia has finally unveiled their self-driving flying taxi
  • It’s transforming the transportation of pilgrims during Hajj
  • It’s a world first

Published on Jun 17, 2024 at 8:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Jun 18, 2024 at 5:33 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

Saudi Arabia has launched the world’s first self-driving flying taxi.

This groundbreaking innovation is aimed at transforming the transportation of pilgrims during Hajj from June 14-19.

The EH216-S completed its first flight with a passenger on board in Abu Dhabi just last month.

READ MORE: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the EHang flying car

Who’s behind the flying taxi?

The company behind this cool invention is called EHang – and it is gaining some serious traction globally.

This electric air taxi service was inaugurated by Minister of Transport and Logistics Engineer Saleh Al Jasser.

For now, its route will run experimentally only between Arafat, Mina, and Muzdalifah.

As well as transporting pilgrims, it could also provide crucial logistics support and emergency services if the need arises.

What’s the broader plan?

The futuristic initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 strategy.

The initiative seeks to leverage advanced technologies like artificial intelligence to revolutionize various sectors – including transportation.

And it’s not the only country on board with flying cars, as EHang also revealed its own fleet of flying taxis for a futuristic transportation system in China.

EHang’s mission is all about making air travel more accessible and eco-friendly.

It’s hoped that companies like EHang and Xpeng and their flying cars will gradually revolutionize the way we travel.

Besides EHang’s EH216-S flying with a passenger, there are other versions of this flying wonder, like the EH216-F used for firefighting and the EH216-L used for aerial logistics.

They all took to the skies, showcasing the different ways these pilotless flying taxis can be used.

How does the self-driving tech work?

Vehicles like the EH216-S are built to tackle challenges like traffic congestion and pollution.

And with high redundancy design and intelligent cluster management, safety is not in doubt.

The autonomous aerial vehicle (AVV), is a two-seater aircraft that has flight paths pre-programmed in order to both maximize efficiency and minimize the chances of something going wrong.

 Being an eVTOL – Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing – means that it is both fully electrically powered, and can take off and land vertically without the need for a runway in an urban area.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”