EHang Likely To Be First In The World To Certify The way the process is currently shaping-up the world's first eVTOL maker to be able to certify an autonomous eVTOL may not be in the West. It may well be in China. Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang could well be the first to certify its EH216-S two-seater. The craft will be autonomous (no pilot) carrying two passengers on short tourism related flights. These are marked differences between the EHang EH216-S and its western competition. It is pilotless and being used for very short tourism flights instead of the air taxi market.
EHang says it has concluded all planned tests and flights of its EH216-S two-seater in the final phase of demonstrating and showcasing compliance of its technologies. After completing the final definitive flight test for the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC), the path to full certification is now clear. This means that potentially the EH216-S could enter service later this year or next year which would be significantly ahead of U.S makers who have generally targeted 2025 as their service entry.
EH216-S will carry two passengers, a maximum payload of 485 lbs for 16 nautical miles. It's not going to be fast either with a slated cruise speed of 62 mph and maxing-out at 80 mph. The aircraft does not have wings like most eVTOL designs but rather relies on eight foldable arms that carry 18 propellers (lift and thrust). It is an overall lightweight design with its purpose set on short tourism flights. The aircraft is capable of fully flying on its own (fully autonomous) but there will be offsite controllers monitoring and have the ability to take control if and when necessary. For more information: EHang Building C, Yixiang Technology Park, No.72 Nanxiang Second Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, 510700, People’s Republic of China www.ehang.com ***
