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7 years of development, 10,000 demonstration flights: eHang is ready to launch.
At CES 2016, eHang stunned the world with the concept of an autonomous eight-screw air taxi. Seven years later, the concept became the world's first fully eVTOL-certified commercial air taxi. This is made possible by the simplicity of the design of the eHang EH 216, which now flies on eight coaxially mounted pairs of propellers, providing autonomous transportation of two passengers over a distance of up to 30 km at a speed of about 130 km/h.
Although these characteristics are modest compared to other models, such as the five-seat Joby S4, which can reach speeds of up to 322 km/h, the eHang EH 216 is ideal for short flights between the roofs of buildings in traffic jams or for short tourist flights. The certificate also confirms the determination of the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration to be at the forefront of commercial eVTOL flights, ahead of the United States and Europe.
It is worth noting that the eHang 216 is certified only in China. It is expected that the American FAA and the European EASA will start issuing eVTOL certificates no earlier than 2024. Also, the eHang 216 probably won't be certified in other markets anytime soon, as it's completely self-contained.
eHang has already conducted about 10,000 "demonstration flights" with passengers. Now, having received the certificate, the company can start commercial operation and scale its production activities.
The head and founder of eHang, Huazhi Hu, expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in this project, and stressed that security is a priority for the company.
The move could give eHang and China a significant advantage over foreign competitors in the air taxi industry.
At CES 2016, eHang stunned the world with the concept of an autonomous eight-screw air taxi. Seven years later, the concept became the world's first fully eVTOL-certified commercial air taxi. This is made possible by the simplicity of the design of the eHang EH 216, which now flies on eight coaxially mounted pairs of propellers, providing autonomous transportation of two passengers over a distance of up to 30 km at a speed of about 130 km/h.
Although these characteristics are modest compared to other models, such as the five-seat Joby S4, which can reach speeds of up to 322 km/h, the eHang EH 216 is ideal for short flights between the roofs of buildings in traffic jams or for short tourist flights. The certificate also confirms the determination of the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration to be at the forefront of commercial eVTOL flights, ahead of the United States and Europe.
It is worth noting that the eHang 216 is certified only in China. It is expected that the American FAA and the European EASA will start issuing eVTOL certificates no earlier than 2024. Also, the eHang 216 probably won't be certified in other markets anytime soon, as it's completely self-contained.
eHang has already conducted about 10,000 "demonstration flights" with passengers. Now, having received the certificate, the company can start commercial operation and scale its production activities.
The head and founder of eHang, Huazhi Hu, expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in this project, and stressed that security is a priority for the company.
The move could give eHang and China a significant advantage over foreign competitors in the air taxi industry.
