Chinese Low-Altitude Economy Taking Shape

EHang Holdings Limited (EHang), a Chinese developer and manufacturer of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (AAV), has delivered five units of its EH216-S two-seat eVTOL multi-copter to new customer Shenzhen Boling Holding Group Co., Ltd. (Boling). The latter concern intends to acquire a total of one-hundred specimens of subject aircraft.

Boling’s purchase of additional EH216-S AAVs is contingent upon the aircraft being granted type-certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and subject to stipulations such as delivery timeline.

Boling intends to ply its planned fleet of EH216-S aircraft to an aerial tourism and sightseeing enterprise undertaken in partnership with Shenzhen’s Bao’an District government.

The five-score EH2016-S AAVs will support regular flight operations at EHang’s inaugural Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Operation Demonstration Center in the Bao’an District’s OH Bay enclave. Boling and local authorities contend lessons learned at OH Bay will inform the near-future founding of commercial EH216-S operations in Shenzhen, and contribute significantly to the development of China’s so-called low-altitude economy—of which UAM is a key component.

According to the Chinese Communist government’s Plan for Innovative Development of Low-Altitude Economy Industries in Bao'an District, Shenzhen (2023-2025), UAM—in addition to sightseeing and tourism—will sustain sectors the likes of aerial logistics, emergency rescue, city management, urban planning, industrial monitoring and security, and entertainment.

Currently, over fifty low-altitude unmanned flight routes across a network comprising upwards of one-hundred landing-platforms are planned throughout the Shenzhen region.

Boling chairman Guanshen Xu stated: “The low-altitude economy holds promising prospects, and I am thrilled to collaborate with EHang, a leading company in this sector. We look forward to taking the initiative in conducting flights at OH Bay to accumulate practical experience for continuous expansion across Shenzhen, as well as the Greater Bay Area encompassing Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. We are confident that integrating passenger-carrying autonomous aerial vehicles with our businesses will bring forth a more intelligent and convenient way of life for everyone.”

EHang chief operating officer Xin Fang remarked: “As the type-certification of EH216-S is close to completion, our preparations for post-certification operations are in full swing. Shenzhen’s Bao’an District, with its unique industrial ecosystem and conducive conditions for developing the low-altitude economy, is an ideal region for deploying commercial EH216-S operations. EHang is pleased to join forces with Boling and pioneer UAM operations in Shenzhen. We look ahead to working together in developing UAM operations alongside promoting UAM solutions worldwide by leveraging the high-quality resources in Bao’an District.”

FMI: www.ehang.com