Chinese regulators have awarded EHang the production certificate for its autonomous EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. 

The move now means EHang has been greenlit by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to mass produce its passenger-grade EH216-S aircraft. 

EHang EH216-S

Source: EHang

It also comes under a year after the company secured Chinese type certification for its autonomous EH216-S, a milestone obtained in October 2023, becoming the first eVTOL developer in the world to gain regulatory validation for its aircraft. 

In December, the programme received its airworthiness certificate, allowing initial deliveries to commence. 

“Securing this [production] certificate indicates that EHang has established a mass-production quality management system that meets the CAAC’s airworthiness regulatory requirements, and the company has been authorised for continued mass production.”

EHang has secured EH216-S orders mostly from Mainland Chinese firms, though it also has customers elsewhere in Asia, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. 

The EH216-S can carry two passengers plus luggage, within its 620kg (1,370lb) maximum take-off weight limit, on trips of up to 16nm (30km). In January, EHang said the EH216-S will be sold in China at close to CNY2.4 million ($332,000) per unit. 

Hailing the “crucial step” in the programme’s development, EHang founder and CEO Huazhi Hu says: “With the [production certificate] as the starting point, we are poised to gradually expand production and delivery to meet escalating market demands.

”Our vision is to introduce safe and reliable pilotless eVTOL aircraft to the global market, thereby offering safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility services to everyone.”

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