In a South China Morning Post interview EHang chief financial officer Conor Yang said the company was conducting trial flights in Guangzhou and Hefei to collect and analyse data before it starts operating in designated areas in these two cities by the end of this year.
In March this year EHang and joint venture partner Hefei Heyi Aviation received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate autonomous passenger drones. According to Conor Yang, EHang will launch an upgraded version of its lift-and-cruise VT-30 eVTOL aircraft called the VT-35 this quarter, “with plans to operate the longer range drone on intercity, cross-bay and cross-mountain routes,” said the news report. “Later in the year, Yang said the company would unveil at least two battery solutions developed in partnership with a leading Chinese manufacturer, without disclosing its name. EHang and Gotion signed a deal in 2023 to co-develop battery products for eVTOLs, including cells, packs, storage systems and charging facilities.”
“We are seeing strong interest in our services overseas, particularly in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and even Latin America,” Yang was quoted in the article. He said EHang was in discussions with Thailand’s civil aviation authorities to operate eVTOLs in designated areas in the country after it completed its maiden passenger flight in Bangkok in November.
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(Image: EHang)