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EHang

From Alfawiki
Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd.
Company typePublic
IndustryAutonomous aerial vehicles, Passenger drones, UAV manufacturing
Founded2010s
Headquarters
Guangzhou
,
China
ProductsAutonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs), Passenger AAVs, Drones (EHang 184, EHang 216, EHang 216F, Ghost, Hexacopter)

Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. (), based in Guangzhou, China, specializes in the design and production of autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) and passenger AAVs. Its offerings cater to sectors such as aerial filming, emergency services, and land surveying.

History

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, EHang unveiled the Ehang 184, recognized as the first-ever AAV capable of carrying human passengers.

In 2017, EHang announced plans for an autonomous flying taxi service in partnership with Dubai's Road & Transportation Agency; however, this initiative was not launched. Concurrently, the company collaborated with Nevada’s Institute for Autonomous Systems to evaluate the EHang 184 as a single-passenger autonomous taxi.

November 2018 marked the opening of EHang’s research facility in Lyon, France, alongside a collaboration with Austrian aerospace manufacturer FACC to develop, certify, and manufacture AAVs tailored for the European market.

EHang entered the public market by listing on the NASDAQ under the ticker EH on December 12, 2019. In March 2020, the company established a strategic alliance with Llíria, Spain, targeting urban air mobility solutions for tourism and logistics sectors, working closely with the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency.

The EH216-S model secured commercial flight authorization in 2023, followed by approval for unmanned flight operations granted by China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) in March 2025.

Ghost

The Ghost is a quadcopter developed by EHang featuring a conventional quadrotor design equipped with skid-type landing gear. Distinctively, its rotors are positioned beneath the arm tips rather than above them, setting it apart from typical multirotor configurations. Primarily intended for aerial photography purposes, the Ghost is operated through a smartphone. Its full designation is Ghost Intelligent Aerial Robot ().

Hexacopter

Revealed at TechCrunch Beijing in August 2014, EHang's Hexacopter is an electric UAV built from carbon fiber composite materials and fitted with skid landing gear. Unlike standard straight-arm designs prevalent in the market, this hexacopter features elegantly curved arms. It supports a payload capacity of up to 10 kg and is controlled via laptop computer. Flight endurance ranges between 30 to 40 minutes with an operational radius near 5 km.

EHang 184

The EHang 184 represents an autonomous passenger drone capable of exceeding speeds of 62 mph. Passenger flights commenced in 2015, accumulating approximately 40 trips by early 2018. Over a three-year period, it completed more than 1,000 test flights under various challenging scenarios including storm-level winds, poor visibility conditions, nighttime operations, and altitudes reaching up to 1,000 feet above ground level. This model incorporates eight propellers arranged across four arms, with production reaching between 30 and 40 units by mid-2018.

EHang 216

Designed as a two-seat aircraft featuring sixteen propellers arranged in a coaxial double-rotor configuration, the EHang 216 had conducted over 1,000 manned flights by July 2018. It demonstrated a maximum trip distance of 8.8 km (5.5 miles) and offered flight durations of around 25 minutes supporting ranges between 30 and 40 km. The vehicle is intended for autonomous operation overseen remotely from either EHang or client command centers. Austrian aerostructure supplier FACC AG partnered with EHang to certify and manufacture this model within Europe under simplified certification protocols applicable to aircraft with takeoff weights below 600 kg (1,320 lb).

In October 2018, China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) granted preliminary approval for passenger flights at designated locations to support regulation development for urban air taxis. Subsequently, EHang began accepting preorders targeting applications such as island-hopping and aerial sightseeing at coastal resorts in China. One planned route includes a one-kilometer shuttle across Guangzhou’s river designed to bypass a congested downtown drive lasting approximately thirty minutes. Additionally, US biotechnology company United Therapeutics aimed to pilot rapid automated deliveries from laboratory facilities to hospitals by late 2019.

In March 2020, Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority issued permits authorizing manned test and certification flights—marking Europe’s first such approval.

On May 27, 2020, EHang received the world’s inaugural commercial pilot operation authorization from CAAC for deploying EHang 216 passenger-grade AAVs in air logistics roles. The aircraft also secured a special flight operations certificate from Transport Canada Civil Aviation permitting test flights in Québec, Canada.

Firefighting

The EHang 216F is designed specifically for aerial fire suppression, with a focus on tackling fires in tall structures. It can ascend to heights of up to 600 meters while carrying a 150-liter capacity of fire retardant. Outfitted with a camera system, the vehicle is capable of autonomously detecting fire locations.

Leveraging 5G network technology, the drone navigates along predetermined paths coordinated with a central command hub. Its battery allows for a flight range of 35 km (22 miles) or approximately 21 minutes per full charge, which takes around two hours to replenish. The maximum payload it supports is 220 kg (485 lb). Entry for occupants is provided through gull-wing doors, and the eVTOL features fixed landing gear.

See also

External links