GUANGZHOU, China, July 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EHang Holdings Limited (“EHang” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EH), a leading global urban air mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, today announced that it delivered the first batch of ten EH216-S unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (“eVTOL”) to Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Tourism Investment and Construction Co., Ltd. (“Xishan Tourism”) in the second quarter of this year, and completed the first passenger flight of the EH216-S in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province on July 28, 2024.
(Pictured: Attendees witness two unmanned eVTOL EH216-S aircraft take off simultaneously, carrying four passengers.)
Tao Wei, standing committee member of the Shanxi Provincial Committee and secretary of Taiyuan Municipal Committee, along with other government officials, experts, scholars and business representatives, attended the maiden flight ceremony of EHang’s unmanned passenger aircraft, marking a milestone in Shanxi’s low-altitude economic development.
The ceremony took place at Taiyuan’s Paddy Field Park, where two EH216-S eVTOL aircraft carrying four passengers took off simultaneously to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the vast paddy fields. The flight not only demonstrated the potential of unmanned eVTOL aircraft in aerial tourism services in Taiyuan, but also demonstrated the advantages of the EH216-S in autonomous flight, cluster management and safe and stable operation, winning recognition and praise from guests and passengers.
During the event, EHang also exhibited its long-range unmanned passenger transport eVTOL VT-30, EH216-F for firefighting and EH216-L for logistics, demonstrating EHang’s comprehensive eVTOL product portfolio and solutions for the low altitude economy ecosystem.
(Pictured: Tao Wei, standing committee member of Shanxi Provincial Committee and secretary of Taiyuan Municipal Committee, discusses EHang’s COO Qiao Wang about the company’s EH216-S and VT-30 unmanned eVTOL air mobility solutions.)
Shanxi is a national-level model province for the development of general aviation industry, and the Shanxi provincial government promulgated the “Measures to Accelerate the Development of Low-Altitude Economy and the Construction of a Model Province for General Aviation” in May 2024. These measures will promote low-altitude scheduled flights, subsidize short-distance logistics and low-altitude tourism, and accelerate the development of general aviation infrastructure and operational service capabilities.
Yang Jicheng, standing committee member of Taiyuan Municipal Committee and standing vice mayor, said: “As a national strategic emerging industry, low-altitude economy is not only a representative of new productive forces, but also an important direction for cultivating new growth drivers, and has broad development prospects. Its application scenarios are gradually expanding from passenger transportation, aerial tourism, and emergency rescue to all sectors of society. New application scenarios of low altitude are constantly expanding, and a new landscape of the low-altitude industrial chain is further taking shape. Taiyuan is a national-level civil unmanned aerial vehicle testing zone, and has the foundation and advantages to develop the aviation industry, and will actively take the lead in the emerging low-altitude economic industry. Taiyuan will strengthen policy support, essential guarantees, and innovative capabilities to promote the in-depth integration of technological innovation and low-altitude economy.” We will continue to enrich the application scenarios of general aviation, and strive to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results through close cooperation with a more open and inclusive attitude, and write a new chapter in the construction of commercial aviation routes. “
(Photo: Yang Jicheng, Standing Committee Member of Taiyuan Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, delivered a speech at the event.)
In May of this year, Xishan Tourism and EHang signed a memorandum of understanding and purchase order for 50 EH216-S aircraft, with plans to acquire another 450 aircraft over the next two years. The first batch of EH216-S aircraft delivered will be deployed in local low-altitude tourism and tourism services. Xishan Tourism is currently proceeding with the regular operation of the EH216-S, and plans to open eVTOL low-altitude tourism routes in Taiyuan’s Yuquan Mountain, Shuitian Park, Jewang Mountain and other areas, establish a series of trend-leading “low-altitude tourism” demonstration projects, and contribute to the development of Shanxi Province’s low-altitude economic demonstration zone.
Zhang Yaozong, Chairman of Xishan Tourism, said, “Xishan Tourism will work with EHang and other partners to explore low-altitude aviation travel, tourism and public service scenarios, and establish multiple flight camps or landing pads, as well as various low-altitude tourist routes for unmanned eVTOLs within Taiyuan and nearby scenic spots. We aim to build an urban low-altitude tourist travel network and a new urban air traffic management system, and establish a low-altitude economic and industrial park. We are ready to explore and demonstrate the development of low-altitude economy in Shanxi Province.”
Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, said: “The Civil Aviation Administration of China has officially accepted our EH216-S Air Operation Certificate (“AOC” or “OC”) application. This is a major breakthrough for the global eVTOL industry. At present, we are gradually delivering EH216-S in batches to locations such as Taiyuan, Hefei, Wuxi, Wencheng, and Zhuhai, and are actively assisting local partners in formulating application scenarios for OC acquisition. Now that we have delivered the EH216-S and completed the first passenger flight in Taiyuan, we will work with Xishan Tourism to establish a benchmark for the low-altitude economy in the region and gradually deploy this innovative technology across North China to bring a new aerial flight experience to more people and open UAM to the public.”
To watch the video of the first flight of the EH216-S unmanned eVTOL passenger aircraft in Taiyuan, click the link: https://youtu.be/6UTv9jUTiPA
About EHang
EHang (Nasdaq: EH) is a global leading urban air mobility (UAM) technology platform company. Our mission is to make safe, autonomous, and environmentally friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. EHang provides unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and solutions to customers across industries, including aerial mobility (including passenger transportation and logistics), smart city management, and aerial media solutions. EHang’s EH216-S has obtained the world’s first Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Standard Airworthiness Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for a passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft. As a pioneer in cutting-edge UAV technology and commercial solutions in the global UAM industry, EHang continues to explore the limits of the sky to realize flight technology that benefits life in smart cities. For more information, please visit www.ehang.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements under the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” ”future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “may,” and similar terms. Statements that are not historical facts, such as statements of management’s belief or confidence, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Various factors, including our expectations regarding certification, demand for and market acceptance of our products and solutions, commercialization of UAM services, relationships with strategic partners, and current and potential litigation in which we are involved, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. Although management believes that these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management’s control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause EHang’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
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