EHang Electric Air Taxi Completes Demo Flight in Shanghai

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One of the leading electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft companies in the world, EHang, recently completed a demo flight of its autonomous (pilot-free) EH216-S, which is capable of carrying human passengers, in downtown Shanghai. “It served as an excellent backdrop to demonstrate the exceptional capabilities in convenience, safety, and eco-friendliness within the operational environment of UAM in metropolises,” the company noted.

EHang is now operating regular flights on sightseeing routes in the city — along the Huangpu River at Longhua Airport in Shanghai — as it prepares for actual commercial operations there.

“The EH216-S for this debut flight is one of the aircraft products that EHang has delivered to its customer Shanghai Hynfar Aviation Co., Ltd. (“Hynfar Aviation”). Hynfar Aviation is the pioneering company in Shanghai focusing on eVTOL operations and an eVTOL operation partner of Longhua Airport,” the company adds. “Going forward, EHang and Hynfar Aviation, and New Margin Eastwood Fund, will take Longhua Airport as the base, to develop a variety of low-altitude economy eVTOL operational scenarios such as passenger transportation and urban sightseeing in the entire area of Shanghai and further covering cities and regions along the Yangtze River Delta G60 Science and Innovation Corridor (including nine cities across Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces). This collaboration aims to promote more cities to realize new models of air taxi transportation.”

We’re yet to see how much eVTOL aircraft can actually be used in decent volumes in order to cut down on other types of polluting and traffic-causing transportation. But you have to start somewhere, and this is where we are with electric autonomous aircraft, and EHang in particular. I’m skeptical about these have a large, mass-scale effect, but they are helpful to whatever degree they can replace fossil-polluting alternatives, and they are simply cool.

Here’s a more ambitious take from EHang, though: “The Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Shanghai Low-Altitude Economy Industry (2024–2027) aims to position Shanghai as a leading hub for innovation, commercial applications, and operational services in the low-altitude economy, with the core industry scale expected to exceed RMB50 billion by 2027, creating an internationally influential ‘City in the Sky.’ The Plan specifically mentions the goal of achieving more than 100 low-altitude flight service applications in commercial scenarios such as logistics transportation, emergency rescue, cultural tourism, smart cities, and passenger transportation by 2027. It also promotes pilot projects for commercial passenger transport across and between major transportation hubs, such as Hongqiao International Airport, Pudong International Airport, and Longhua Airport, in addition to five new intra-city stops within Shanghai. This provides clear policy guidance and vast development opportunities for the low-altitude economy’s growth.” Ah, well, that’s still not close to mass scale in 2027, but the vision of a “City in the Sky” is much bigger long term.

“As the world’s first pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL that has obtained the Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Standard Airworthiness Certificate from the CAAC, EH216-S’s successful debut flight in Shanghai has a great demonstration importance, signifying that large central cities in China are on the verge of entering the era of urban air taxi flight scenarios,” Zhao Wang, EHang’s Chief Operating Officer, added. “With metropolises gradually advancing the development and operations of the low-altitude economy, EHang’s pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOLs are poised to become a key driver in UAM transformation. Looking ahead, we will fully leverage our first-mover advantage as the world’s first certified eVTOL company and join hands with Hynfar Aviation, which has been deeply rooted in the civil aviation field for many years, and combine the all-encompassing layout and rich cultural and tourism resources of the New Margin Eastwood Fund in the low-altitude economic sector, to actively promote market-oriented, EH216-S commercial operations in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region. Together, we will explore the diversified application scenarios within the low-altitude economy and jointly build a smarter and more efficient UAM ecosystem, making air taxi rides a part of consumers’ daily travel routines.”

Read more EHang stories on CleanTechnica for further background and opinions.