The annual 'Nada Auto Show' held in Kathmandu before Dasain is always in the limelight for displaying new and attractive vehicles. At NADA's 17th exhibition starting Tuesday, the flying taxi caught everyone's attention. This taxi excited even the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who shared the dream of the train with the Nepali people.

Prime Minister Oli, Minister of Finance  Vishnu Paudel along with this taxi that will excite youth, entrepreneurs, businessmen, consumers all over the country - 'Deepal Flying Taxi', a joint product of Chinese automaker company Changan-Ihang. 

Because the topography is complicated, transportation is not easy in all districts. Remote terrain and remote areas are still beyond the reach of roads. Lack of paved roads makes it difficult to connect rural communities to urban centers. But in this situation, MAW, in collaboration with the Chinese car manufacturer Changan-Ihang Auto, has launched an automatic electric vertical takeoff and landing aerial car to signal the beginning of a new era of mobility in Nepal, according to Bishnu Kumar Agrawal, Managing Director of MAW Group.

He says, "This air taxi can be controlled from a command area, and no human pilot/driver is needed." Changan, which is considered the second competitor after BYD in China, calls it a drone car "designed for urban air travel". The model on display is a two-seater aerial car. It is a device with fully automatic flight capability. 

Changan Nepal, the official distributor of Deepal brand vehicles, brought it into Kathmandu three days ago from Shanghai via Tatopani road. This is the EH216-S model. The vehicle can fly at a maximum speed of 135 km per hour with a load of about 600 kg. It can fly for up to 30 km or 25 minutes on a single full charge. It includes state-of-the-art security systems. Called the

EVTOLL (Electronic Vertical Takeoff and Landing) car, it was first exhibited at the NADA Auto Show. It is claimed to be safe as there have been no incidents/accidents in the test flights so far. "It is more useful for point-to-point travel, sightseeing and survey," says Vivek Sikaria, Managing Director of MAW Growth.

An unmanned aircraft has eight motors, even if six of them are not working, it can fly. Its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is up to 600 kg. It has the ability to fly at a height of about 3 km and cover a distance of 30 km. A transparent cabin with a light and strong carbon-fiber composite structure and a modern design allow passengers to experience a panoramic view of the sky. Such instruments are regulated by aviation authorities around the world. But this time it will not be flown in Nepal. 

"Traffic congestion and urbanization are increasing around the world," says Gyanendra Bhul, co-spokesperson of the authority. Especially in a country with mountainous terrain like Nepal, its potential is even higher. Before its use in Nepal, it is necessary to create basic infrastructure such as charging stations, air corridors, construction of traffic management system and civil aviation laws.  It will be returned to China after the

performance. Priced at least 8 million rupees, it is not yet open for sale in Nepal. But it will instill enthusiasm for scientific thinking and innovation in the young generation of Nepal, according to MAW. "It's not just a flying car, it's an important step towards the transportation system of the future, just as our thinking has moved from the pedestrian to the train, now from the road to the sky." If Nepal advances this technology in a planned way, it can bring a revolution in tourism, emergency services and urban development,'' said Agarwal, 'Now China is in the final preparation of this flight, UAE is now putting it into use.' In the

exhibition, MAW has also exhibited human-sized robots for the first time in Nepal. These robots interact directly with the visitors, performing human-like activities, giving the audience a real experience.

According to the New York Times, earlier in 2020, Hyundai and Uber announced that they will collaborate to develop a fully electric air taxi as part of the future air ride at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, USA. Before that, auto and aviation businessmen and entrepreneurs had been promising mass-produced flying cars for over a century.