Flying drone taxi maker EHang gets safety approval in China

CHINESE drone maker EHang has gained safety approval certification from China’s aviation authority, bringing its unmanned passenger helicopters one step closer to commercial use, the Guangzhou-based company said on Friday (Oct 13).

The “type certification” from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is for EHang’s 216-S model, a 16-rotor drone that can carry two passengers at speeds of 130 km an hour at a max range of 30 km.

An individual vehicle costs 2.16 million yuan (S$403,870).

It is the first such electronic vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle to receive type certification from the CAAC, EHang said, though the company still needs an operation permit before commercial activities can begin.

Shares of the Nasdaq-listed company have risen 80 per cent so far this year to US$17.10, though they remain far below their December 2020 peak of US$124.09, before a damning report from an investment research firm caused a precipitous drop in value.

EHang said it is still exploring whether to work with tourism operator customers as either a product provider or also as a service provider by operating the vehicles.

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Well-established aviation and automotive industry players like Boeing, Embraer, Airbus, United Airlines, Toyota Motor and Stellantis are among the companies pouring money into the nascent eVTOL sector.

But regulatory requirements have been one of the thorniest issues for the sector given strict safety requirements, especially for operating in dense urban environments, as well as noise and pollution concerns.

In China, AutoFlight and XPeng are also developing vehicles in the eVTOL space. REUTERS