Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer EHang has conducted its first passenger-carrying autonomous flight demonstration within Japan with its EH216 eVTOL aircraft.
The EH216 flew with two passengers and no pilot along Tanoura Beach in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
In July 2022, an EH216 completed Japan’s first eVTOL point-to-point demo flight for air mobility in Oita City, Oita Prefecture.
Attending the event Sato Kiichiro, Mayor of Oita said, “I hope that today’s passenger-carrying flight test will accelerate autonomous aerial vehicles to take a further step toward practical use cases, so that this industry full of opportunities could be in full swing.”
Xin Fang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang said, “Over the past two years, EH216 has achieved one milestone after another in Japan with several rounds of demo and trial flights. This year brought passengers the possibility of riding in the air with this cutting-edge product and technology.
“We will continue working with our partners to promote safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly UAM solutions in Japan so as to benefit more people worldwide with our passenger-grade AAVs.”
Ehang has been carrying out manned flight testing with eVTOL aircraft since 2018.
Ehang’s EH216 has been designed for intra-city urban air mobility and has 16 propellers in a coaxial double-baled design. It can carry 2 passengers a maximum range of 8.8 km (5.5 miles). The EH216 is the successor to Ehang’s 184 eVTOL, which was used for earlier testing and demonstrations.
