They’re nearly here, folks.
The hype around electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis is growing, even in non-aviation circles. Chinese manufacturer EHang on Thursday added to that momentum with a historic moment for aviation: the world’s first commercial eVTOL air taxi flight demonstrations.
Inaugural trips aboard the two-passenger, self-flying air taxi took place in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei. Passengers—including high-ranking government officials and citizens alike—were invited to fly and did not need to pay for their tickets. Additionally, the cities posted no-fly notices to keep the airspace clear.
The company’s design, the EH216-S, is a bit less robust than air taxi models from American manufacturers such as Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation. It has a range of 19 nm and cruises at around 70 knots, both of which would be toward the lower end of publicly announced designs. EHang, however, has positioned itself in the aerial tourism space, while Archer and Joby intend to ferry passengers to and from airports.
Thursday’s flights weren’t quite the beginning of routine commercial service for EHang since customers flew for free, and there were no other aircraft for the air taxi to dodge. But the demonstrations could go a long way toward validating the company’s operations for widespread service—especially with government officials in attendance.
“We are making steady progress towards commercial operations, as planned,” said Huazhi Hu, founder, chairman, and CEO of EHang. “This rapid advancement has been bolstered by the unwavering support of our partners, regulators and national policies focused on developing China’s low-altitude economy, especially in [urban air mobility]. We are confident that our concerted efforts will ensure a smooth launch of commercial operations for EH216-S in these pioneering cities in the near future.”
Launch events at Guangzhou’s Jiulong Lake Park and Hefei’s Luogang Central Park brought spectators’ eyes to the skies to watch the strange new aircraft, which flies below 9,800 feet. A select few of them got the inverse experience, peering down at the crowd below as they soared over sprawling buildings and scenery—potentially on the first of many jaunts.
Help From Above
EHang has strategic partnerships with the governments of both Guangzhou and Hefei, as well as that of Shenzhen, a mega-metropolis home to 13 million residents. Those collaborations helped the firm get to where it is today, and they could be even more crucial down the line.
The government of Hefei, for example, designated Luogang Central Park as an eVTOL aircraft operation site, part of the city’s Full-Space Unmanned System Integrated Application Demonstration Project. Before that, the government helped transform the site from the former Hefei Luogang International Airport.
On Thursday, Hefei released guidelines to develop the city’s low-altitude economy, China’s equivalent to the FAA’s advanced air mobility (AAM) moniker. The blueprint covers testing, certification, flight service and management, the creation of new air taxi routes, and plenty more. The city also intends to work with EHang to expand service to other scenic locations.
And through a strategic partnership agreed earlier this year, the Hefei Municipal Government will purchase at least 100 EH216 series air taxis—or provide EHang financial support—in a deal worth up to $100 million.
“Today EHang’s debut commercial flight demonstrations mark a new chapter in the development history of the pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicle and the low-altitude economy,” said Quan Zhang, executive vice mayor of Hefei and member of the Hefei Municipal Community. “In the next step, we will join hands with key enterprises like EHang to focus on application scenarios, industrial cooperation, and business model innovation, and strive to build Hefei as a low-altitude city of international influence.”
Guangzhou, too, has provided plenty of support. The city on Thursday published rules designed to integrate low-altitude operations into the frey of other aircraft populating its skies. It also agreed to finance EHang and others with up to $4.2 million in subsidies for “eligible low-altitude industrial projects.”
In addition, EHang said more sites and routes are being developed in Guangzhou’s Huangpu district. And further, a pair of Guangzhou-based investment firms on Thursday announced plans to jointly launch the Guangzhou Development District Low-Altitude Industry Venture Capital Fund. The target value for the fund? $1.4 billion.
One of those firms, Guangzhou Development District Communications Investment Group Co., is the parent company of Eton, which on Tuesday became the first EHang customer to receive a delivery. That aircraft was the model that flew over Jiulong Lake on Thursday.
“EHang always adheres to innovation leadership and constantly explores the boundaries of the sky,” said Jie Chen, executive vice mayor of Guangzhou and member of the city’s municipal committee. “In October this year, EHang successfully obtained the type certificate for its unmanned aerial vehicle, marking a global milestone in the development of the low-altitude economy. I believe that today’s debut commercial flight demonstration will greatly boost confidence of the entire industry and lead its development onto the fast track.”
EHang in recent months has been picking up the pace. Following type certification in October, the manufacturer earlier this week obtained airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Both approvals were aviation firsts. Next up is production certification, which would complete the trifecta of authorizations EHang needs to scale up. Already, the firm has built a manufacturing plant in the city of Yunfu.
What’s Next?
In many ways, EHang will serve as a litmus test for the entire eVTOL industry once its commercial operations ramp up.
It is not uncommon for aviation authorities such as the FAA to exchange standards and guidelines—the agency even has a bilateral agreement with CAAC, among many others. As such, China’s successes (or failures) with EHang could have a ripple effect on international regulators, who will no doubt be monitoring the country’s early progress for potential guidance in establishing their own AAM industries.
At the same time, however, an event such as a crash could be disastrous—not just for EHang but for the entire industry. While no two eVTOL air taxi designs are completely alike, public support for AAM services may dwindle should an EH216-S go down. Whatever happens, the outcome is likely to have a widespread impact.
Another factor to keep an eye on is the reaction of EHang rivals. Competitors could opt for the scorched earth route: sway lawmakers to crowd EHang out of the market, as the U.S. is attempting to do to Chinese drone manufacturer DJI and others. Or, they might go with the “rising tide lifts all boats” philosophy, working together as Archer and Boeing’s Wisk Aero have done.
Either way, Thursday’s flights should create a few shockwaves. Some industry stakeholders may view them as major progress; others, as a wake-up call. Either way, eVTOL air taxis are on the horizon, and there’s plenty for U.S. stakeholders to learn before the potential launch of the nation’s inaugural air taxi services in 2025.
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