Autonomous eVTOL Maker EHang Says It’s on the Cusp of Type Certification

The Chinese firm wrapped up flight-testing for China’s Civil Aviation Administration and had its cloud software approved for trials.

Jack Daleo

Monday, August 21, 2023 at 04:37 PM ET

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EHang’s EH216-S eVTOL will carry up to two passengers on short- and medium-haul tourism flights. [Courtesy: EHang]

Key Takeaways:

Chinese company EHang is on the verge of obtaining the world's first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) type certification for its EH216-S autonomous aircraft from the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC).
This significant achievement positions EHang to potentially launch commercial Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services in China and Japan as early as this year or next, ahead of U.S. competitors.
EHang also secured CAAC approval for trial operations of its Unmanned Aircraft Cloud System (UACS), which is crucial for orchestrating multiple aircraft and managing flight operations for its upcoming commercial services.

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For all of the FAA’s recent efforts to promote advanced air mobility (AAM) services in American airspace and chip away at China’s growing influence on the industry, the agency and U.S. lawmakers may be disappointed by a recent piece of news: A Chinese company appears set to obtain the world’s first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) type certification.

EHang, a Guangzhou-based manufacturer of autonomous eVTOL aircraft for passenger transport and tourism services, announced it has completed all planned tests and flights of its EH216-S two-seater in the last phase of demonstrating compliance of its technology.