EHang says air taxi is ‘more than 90%’ through China’s certification process

Air taxi developer EHang is closing out March with a pair of announcements on its activities preparing for future advanced air mobility (AAM), including news its unpiloted passenger craft has entered the final phase of certification with China’s regulators.

EHang reported on the progress of its EH216-S air taxi in a communiqué on its 2022 financial results. In it the company said the craft had entered “the final phase of Demonstration and Verification of Compliance” with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). It also suggested the vehicle might have advanced even closer toward final type certification (TC) if it hadn’t been for considerable disruptions caused by COVID-19 peaks in the country.

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In describing progress of EH216-S testing, EHang said “more than 90% of the entire TC process has been completed, which is believed to be the fastest progress among all TC projects of electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft worldwide.”

 EHang added it had received over 100 orders for the future air taxi from customers in China, and that it continues adding to its over 34,000 test flights of the craft already made around the globe.

“At present, several EH216-S conforming aircraft, which were manufactured in EHang’s Yunfu production facility, have successfully passed the manufacturing conformity inspection by CAAC and are undergoing required compliance tests at flight bases in Guangzhou and Hezhou as well as laboratories in other locations,” the company said. “Based on the CAAC-agreed compliance test plans, more than 70% of tests have been or will be completed soon, including laboratory tests, ground tests and inspections, flight tests and data analysis.”

Read: EHang air taxi aids European testing of UAM air traffic projects

This week EHang also announced the successful completion of testing of an autonomous airborne beacon designed to improve positioning information on drones and AAM craft like air taxis.

The company said the year-long BAUD project with Spain’s Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies and government ministries had been wrapped up with all objectives met. The system uses the UAV-transported beacon to interface with positioning platforms like Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, and Galileo to communicate information on drone and AAM craft status, remote identification information, and other tactical data to surrounding U-Space operators. 

“We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the BAUD project, achieving all of its goals and objectives,” said Victoria Xiang, EHang chief operating officer for Europe and Latin America. “EHang welcomes public-private partnership opportunities for research, development, and investment in the UAS field in Spain. This has encouraged EHang to execute several innovation projects, share EHang’s world-leading technology and extensive international experience on Urban Air Mobility, and strengthen our wide technological collaboration network in Europe.”