China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate

The electric air taxi manufacturer could launch commercial passenger services as early as this year, which would beat out U.S. and European rivals.

Jack Daleo

Friday, October 13, 2023 at 03:14 PM ET

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EHang rang in the type certification milestone with a ceremony at the CAMIC International Convention Center in Beijing on October 13. [Courtesy: EHang]

Key Takeaways:

EHang's EH216-S became the world's first eVTOL aircraft to receive type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
This landmark approval enables EHang to begin commercial operations of its autonomous two-passenger air taxi for transportation and tourism routes in China.
The certification is a major global milestone for the urban air mobility industry, proving rigorous safety standards can be met and positioning EHang as an early market leader.

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Chinese manufacturers DJI and Autel are dominating the drone market, even within the U.S. But much to the chagrin of American lawmakers—who have proposed and passed several measures to counter China’s drone dominance—a Chinese firm looks set to gobble up early market share for another emerging aviation technology.

EHang, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer, on Friday obtained Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) type certification for its EH216-S, making it the first eVTOL aircraft in the world with such an approval. Type certification will allow EHang to operate the self-flying, two-passenger aircraft on commercial transportation and tourism routes in China.