Where ‘Made in China’ Means Flying Cars and Automated Pharmacies

On a sunny afternoon in early November, several dozen software engineers and designers are anxiously preparing for a test flight of the EHang 184, a compact metal and glass pod outfitted with eight propellers. The self-steering, single-passenger craft could begin buzzing through the skies of Dubai as early as next year, says Hu Huazhi, the 40-year-old chain-smoking founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of EHang, a Guangzhou-based maker of drones. The rulers of the Arab city-state want one-quarter of all transport to be autonomous by 2030 and are in talks with EHang about supplying a fleet of air taxis.

Earning bragging rights for building one of the world’s first flying cars is not just a corporate goal. “Our company’s development is also an integral component of the Guangzhou government’s plan” to move up the technology ladder, says Hu as he shows visitors around the company’s offices and flight command center, which are housed inside an abandoned amusement park devoted to the wonders of space travel.