Story highlights Dubai says it will launch driverless flying taxis this year

The passenger drones carry one person

The vehicles are made by Chinese company Ehang

(CNN) Dubai has announced yet another pioneering initiative, but this time it's not the world's first rotating skyscraper or 3D printed office. It's a fleet of flying taxis.

Small enough to fit into a car parking space when folded up, the one-seater passenger drones made by Chinese company Ehang are set to start picking up passengers in July this year, according to Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA).

The electrically powered driverless drones -- named Ehang 184 -- have already been seen hovering above the sand dunes near the city's airfield during test flights.

"The 184 provides a viable solution to the many challenges the transportation industry faces in a safe and energy-efficient way," said Ehang founder and CEO Huazhi Hu when the vehicle was unveiled during the 2016 CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

"The 184 is evocative of a future we've always dreamed of and is primed to alter the very fundamentals of the way we get around."

The Dubai Road and Transport Authority have begun test flights

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