Chinese drone maker EHang recently announced that it will build a vertiport in Italy, its first in the EU, to serve passenger-grade autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs).
The vertiport is expected to be operational in 2022, and the company hopes to use it to build a complete manned air traffic service.
The vertiport, able to accommodate three EHang 216 aircraft simultaneously, is equipped with a waiting room, a café, a 200-square-meter panoramic restaurant, and connecting lift.
The take-off-and-landing platform will be set on the roof terrace. The vertiport is built with non-slip photovoltaic panels that can generate over 300 KW of electric power per day.
The platform will have fully independent plug-and-play charging infrastructures that can be used to recharge EHang's AAVs.
When completed, the terminal will provide an intra-city connection to high-speed transportation such as high-speed rail. Passengers who arrived will be able to take the EHang aircraft to their respective destinations within the city quickly.
Chinese drone maker EHang reportedly to launch electric aircraft with 400 km range
(Photo: EHang)
