China gives EHang approval for air-taxi trial

HONG KONG China gave EHang Holdings the go-ahead to begin trial air-taxi operations in 2023, a step towards the company's goal of launching the world's first commercial service using the futuristic battery-powered craft.

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EHang said its autonomous, two passenger EH216-S secured the country's first type certificate signifying airworthiness from regulators.

This will allow the company, which is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong, to work with local partners and conduct aerial tours of scenic locations such as Tianchi Lake in Xinjiang province and OH Bay in Shenzhen, it said.

The EH216-S, priced at 2.16 million yuan (S$412,000), has eight arms jutting out from its centre and is equipped with 16 propellers, each with its own electric motor. It can travel at about 100kmh for 25 minutes, according to EHang, which declined to say how much a flying-taxi tour might cost.

Friday's move by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) gives EHang a potential edge over a crowded field of rivals in the United States and Europe racing to meet stringent certification guidelines.