In a move that has aviation enthusiasts and investors everywhere going bananas, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given the green light to EHang's EH216-S two-seat eVTOL aircraft. That's right, folks, we're talking about flying passengers without a human pilot on board!
So, imagine this: The CAAC said, "Ok, LFG!" and issued a type certificate for EHang's autonomous wonder in record time. They must have thought, "Who needs pilots when you can have a computer powered chauffeur?" And just like that, the EH216-S became the world's first eVTOL vehicle to get the nod for commercial use.
EHang, a company based in the city of Guangzhou, claims they've been on this journey since January 2021, and they've jumped through more hoops than a circus poodle to get there. The so-called "special conditions" for this new aircraft category were laid out in February 2022, and let's just say they've had some very rigorous requirements to pass.
The validation process for the EH216-S included inspecting every nut, bolt, and doodad, searching for any gremlins hiding in the system. They've conducted over 500 specific test items and a whopping 40,000 test flights – that's more test flights than the B2 stealth aircraft (citation needed) All of this resulted in 65 "major categories" and 450 individual test items being covered.
EHang is ready to crank up production and deliver these pilot-less wonders to operators in China. They haven't spilled the beans on when or where the first passenger flights will take off, but they've already been sending these vehicles to customers within China, like it's just another day in the life of a drone delivery service.
The CEO of EHang, Huazhi Hu, couldn't contain his excitement and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved. He's talking about "urban air mobility platform operator" like it's the next big thing. Air taxi and sightseeing flights, anyone? If it's up to EHang, we'll all be flying autonomously soon, whether we like it or not.
So, to wrap it all up, EHang is back.
Linkie: https://www.ehang.com/