China-based autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company EHang has announced plans to build an “eco-sustainable” vertiport in Italy. The company says the vertiport, which is being designed to support its EH216 passenger AAV, will be capable of generating over 300 kW of electricity a day via solar panels. In addition to a landing platform with “plug-and-play” charging infrastructures, the design includes a waiting room, café and panoramic restaurant.
“The vertiport will use green design and construction materials, and can generate energy to recharge the EH216 passenger-grade AAVs,” EHang said. “Vertiports will play a significant role in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and the new era of flight. When integrated into the existing transportation infrastructure, vertiports can serve as aerial hubs for tourists.”
The project is being conducted in partnership with Italian architecture firm Giancarlo Zema Design Group (GZDG). The exact location and time frame for construction of the vertiport have not yet been announced. As previously reported by AVweb, EHang launched its first aerial tourism service in Guangdong, China, last December.
