In an exciting development for the Chinese UAM company EHang, the first EH216-S units have been delivered to Xishan Tourism in Taiyuan. Not only that, but the company has also successfully completed the first flights with passengers onboard in the region.
Xishan Tourism has received ten aircraft as part of the first batch, with plans for more to follow. In fact, the company has made a firm order for 50 EH216-S aircraft and has even bigger ambitions. They aim to have an impressive fleet of 450 autonomous air taxis within just two years.
These initial units will primarily be used for sightseeing and other tourism services. This aligns with the current trend in China, where low-altitude tourism is extremely popular and closely associated with fully-electric air taxis. As part of their future plans, Xishan Tourism is also working on developing a dedicated mobility network, a low-altitude-economy industrial park, and implementing a UAM traffic management system.
During the inaugural flight ceremony in Taiyuan, two EHang aircraft took off simultaneously, with four passengers on board. This demonstration follows a similar event that took place a few months ago in Abu Dhabi, where three different EHang eVTOLs completed pioneering autonomous flights at the same time. One of these aircraft was the EH216-S, with passengers on board, while the others were the EH216-L (logistics configuration) and the EH216-F (firefighting configuration).
EHang took advantage of the Taiyuan ceremony to showcase the various configurations of its pilotless eVTOL, including the VT-30, which shows great promise for long-range passenger-carrying flights.
EHang’s achievements have not been limited to China and the UAE. The company has also completed similar pioneering flights in Japan and Costa Rica. This flurry of demonstration flights began after the EH216-S became the world’s first certified autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL in 2023. In 2024, EHang obtained certification for pilotless eVTOL manufacturing, allowing for mass production to commence.
The EH216-S is a compact and lightweight electric aircraft specifically designed for short-distance, two-passenger flights. It can reach a top speed of 80 mph (130 kph) and has a maximum range of 18.6 miles (30 km) on a single charge. Initially, this pilotless air taxi will focus on providing emission-free sightseeing flights across China.
