RALEIGH, N.C., - EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, conducted its first-ever U.S. trial flight of its two-seater passenger-grade AAV, the EHang 216 on Jan 7, as part of the North Carolina Transportation Summit hosted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on January 8 and 9, 2020.
This represents the first time that the EHang 216 has received flight approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While this was a non-passenger flight, EHang is working with the FAA to secure approval for a passenger trial flight of the EHang 216 in the near future.
“Our mission is to make safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone and this trial flight represents a significant step towards bringing our urban air mobility solutions to the U.S. market,” said EHang founder, chairman, and CEO Huazhi Hu. “Pilotless air taxis have the power to transform everyday life in urban areas since they can lessen pollution, expedite emergency services, and save individuals and businesses time and money through shorter travel times.”
To date, EHang has safely conducted over two thousand trial flights in the United States, China, Austria, the Netherlands, Qatar, and the UAE to ensure that its AAVs operate safely and reliably in different areas globally.
Prior to this debut flight in the U.S., two EHang 216 AAVs completed simultaneous trial flights of their commercial sightseeing applications in Guangzhou, China on November 30, 2019. These trial flights are part of EHang’s joint initiative with the government of Guangzhou to develop Guangzhou to be EHang’s first urban air mobility pilot city. These trial flights will enable EHang to test flight routes and vertiports to implement the initiative.
