Drone Startup Takes Guangzhou Deputy Mayor to the Skies

*Vehicle can carry a 220-pound passenger for 25 minutes

*Despite progress, commercial use of such vehicles remains far from reality

Avoiding car-choked city streets by flying to work is a fantasy entertained by many people stuck in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic. But a Chinese startup is working to make this daydream a reality.

Ehang Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd., a Guangzhou-based aerial-vehicle-maker founded four years ago, released footage on Tuesday in which its signature passenger-carrying drone, the Ehang 184, took several people on a ride through the skies.