Chinese drone maker EHang will launch an electric aircraft with a range that will exceed 400 kilometers, ten times that of its current flagship EHang 216, according to NetEase Tech.
EHang demonstrated the EHang 216 in the United States last January, a drone powered by 16 electric rotors capable of flying along a predetermined route at 128 kilometers per hour.
The EHang 216 weighs about 272 kilograms and can carry 226 kilograms to 272 kilograms of cargo or passengers.
However, electric aircraft are still in the early stages of development and are currently used mainly for sightseeing tours.
If the 400-kilometer-range aircraft does launch, it will be far superior to the current model of Joby, the US air cab company.
EHang was shorted by short-seller Wolfpack Research in February, sending its shares plummeting 62.7 percent to $46.30 in one day, and losing $4.1 billion in market value overnight.
Prior to the short sale, EHang's stock price had soared from $14 to $124 from its Nasdaq listing last December to Feb. 15 this year, a cumulative gain of 750 percent.
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