The Chinese company EHang, specializing in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, is preparing to begin commercial operation of its EH216-S air taxi for passenger transportation. According to the company's chief operating Officer Wang Zhao at the China International Consumer Goods Exhibition in Haikou, the company recently received an operational certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of the People's Republic of China, which paves the way for the official launch of commercial services.
Since 2024, EHang has been working with government and corporate clients to develop use cases and has already implemented 216 vehicles. Wang Zhao noted that the expected changes in legislation this year will improve flight conditions. The company has already conducted test flights in 20 countries, coordinating its actions with local laws to successfully promote its products on international markets.
At the Haikou exhibition, EHang demonstrated three models of drones: EH216-F for fire fighting, EH216-L for cargo transportation and EH216-S for passenger transportation. The EH216-S passenger model aroused the greatest interest among visitors due to its 650 kg payload and the ability to fly up to 30 km with a maximum flight duration of 25 minutes. The air taxi is equipped with 16 propellers and can continue moving even if five of them fail.
