https://english.news.cn/20250420/f5b9b7dd8bb44b4592652727159c913c/c.html
https://www.ehang.com/ehangaav/
The futuristic vision of gliding above traffic in an autonomous “flying taxi” is fast becoming a reality, thanks to the rise of low-altitude economy in China.
Companies like EHang Holdings, a global leader in urban air mobility (UAM), offer solutions to urban congestion and offer a glimpse into the future of aerial consumption. EHang’s flagship EH216-S is the world’s first and only electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to secure all four certifications required for commercial operation: Type Certificate (TC), Production Certificate (PC), Standard Airworthiness Certificate (AC), and Operational Permit. Having completed over 66,000 safe flights across 19 countries, including the United States, Japan, UAE and countries in Europe, the pilotless eVTOL is already driving real-world applications in passenger transport, aerial tourism, logistics, and emergency medical services.
The company aims to launch air taxi services as early as this year. Operating from rooftops or designated vertiports, these eVTOLs promise to bypass ground traffic efficiently, doubling as air ambulances or emergency responders. EHang has already established more than 20 demonstration sites across 16 Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and is now eyeing Hainan’s unique geography to pioneer low-altitude tourism, island-hopping routes, and intra-city aerial networks.
A government work report released this March said China will carry out demonstration initiatives on the large-scale application of new technologies, products and scenarios, and promote safe and sound development of emerging industries, including the low-altitude economy. Many Chinese cities have been moving quickly to establish a foothold in the sector, considering it a new track of industrial development. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has forecast a significant surge in market value, projecting that the sector would soar from 500 billion yuan (about 69.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 to 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025, and that it could reach an astounding 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.
