EHang has EH216-S type certified by Chinese regulator

EHang has been awarded a type certificate (TC) for its passenger-carrying autonomous air taxi,  EH216-S by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). 

The TC qualifies the EH216-S for conducting passenger-carrying UAV commercial operations and is a world first for an unmanned eVTOL. The awarding ceremony was held at the CAMIC International Convention Centre in Beijing on Friday.

Mr. Huazhi Hu, founder and CEO of EHang, said: “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to CAAC, the expert team, and all EHang employees for their unwavering dedication. Our self-developed EH216-S passenger-carrying UAV system has finally met high expectation to secure the first TC in the global eVTOL industry, marking a significant chapter in civil aviation history.”

Since the CAAC formally accepted EHang’s EH216-S TC application in January 2021, the EHang team said it worked closely with the regulator towards validating and verifying the aircraft’s technologies.

According to the CAAC, it assembled leading experts from local authorities, aviation institutions and research organisations and formally published the Special Conditions for the EH216-S UAV System in February 2022. Amidst a global landscape where eVTOL aviation airworthiness regulations are still evolving, China said it has formulated a “rigorous and scientific” regulatory framework of airworthiness certification for the EH216-S.

Hu added: “Embracing the TC as our springboard, we will launch commercial operations of the EH216-S unmanned eVTOLs, prioritising safety above all. This will enable us to steadily progress towards our strategic goal to be a UAM platform operator, and commit to our mission to enable safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.”