The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ‘type certification’ is for EHang’s 216-S model, a 16-rotor drone that can carry two passengers at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour and a maximum range of 30 kilometers .
An individual vehicle costs 2.16 million yuan ($296,000).
It is the first electronic vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) to receive type certification from the (CAAC), EHang said, although the company still requires an operating license before commercial operations can begin.
Shares of the NASDAQ-listed company are up 80% so far this year to $17.10, although they remain well below their peak of $124.09 in December 2020, before a damning report from an investment research firm sent a steep decline in value caused.
EHang said it is still exploring whether it will work with tourism operator customers as a product provider or also as a service provider, which also operates the vehicles.
Renowned aerospace and automotive industry players such as Boeing (BA.N), Embraer, Airbus (AIR.PA), United Airlines, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Stellantis (STLA.MI) are among the companies that invest money in aviation. the emerging eVTOL sector.
But regulatory requirements have been one of the thorniest issues for the industry, given the strict safety requirements, especially for working in dense urban environments, and concerns about noise and pollution.
In China, AutoFlight and XPeng Inc are also developing vehicles in the eVTOL space.
