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 has secured the world's first type certification for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, its EH216-S autonomous air taxi, from China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC).
This certification is a major global milestone for urban air mobility (UAM), enabling EHang to commence commercial operations for passenger transport and tourism routes within China.
EHang's early market entry provides a significant first-mover advantage, potentially allowing it to gather valuable operational insights and influence future global UAM regulations and standards.
In contrast, eVTOL manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe are generally in earlier stages of the certification process, with most targeting commercial operations for piloted aircraft in later years.

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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.