The First “Flying Taxi” EH216-S by EHang Intelligent Sold to a Buyer in Guangdong Province
On the evening of March 20th, the world’s first “flying taxi,” the EHang Intelligent EH216-S, was purchased by a buyer from Guangdong on an e-commerce platform.
On March 18th, the world’s first domestically developed and certified “flying taxi” EH216-S by EHang Intelligent, an unmanned aerial vehicle for carrying passengers, was listed on Taobao with a price tag of 2.39 million yuan. At 7 p.m. on the 20th, the “Make Friends” Taobao live stream offered this product at a special price of 1.99 million yuan, and Guangzhou Heli Creation Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. from Guangdong became the first full-payment buyer of the product.
Image of the EHang Intelligent EH216-S provided by the interviewee
Upon visiting the EHang Intelligent official store on Taobao, it was observed that there are three purchase links for the EH216-S unmanned aerial vehicle, one with the official price of 2.39 million yuan, and the other two from the “Make Friends” live stream, one for full payment at 1.99 million yuan and the other for a 39,900 yuan reservation deposit. As of the evening of the 21st, the special purchase link from the “Make Friends” live stream had one full payment sold and twelve reservation deposits sold.
The EHang Intelligent EH216-S, already certified for airworthiness, primarily operates in low-altitude airspace and can be used for aerial tours, city sightseeing, low-altitude commuting, and emergency rescue missions. Another long-range unmanned aerial vehicle for passenger transport, the VT-30 by EHang Intelligent, is also planned to undergo airworthiness certification later this year.
According to the product description on the purchase links, buying the EHang Intelligent EH216-S “flying taxi” does not mean one can fly wherever they want. In actual operation, the take-off and landing points as well as flight paths are jointly determined by EHang Intelligent and the local civil aviation authority to ensure reliable communication, non-interference with other flight paths, and no fixed obstacles along the route.
The introduction of the “flying taxi” has led many media and industry professionals to believe that the era of low-altitude economy has arrived. However, some believe that its safety and economic viability need further consideration. “The low-altitude economy that people are seeing now is still in its early stages, but as a representative direction of economic production methods, it will play a significant role in driving the entire industry transformation,” said He Tianxing, Vice President of EHang Intelligent. For example, in the field of public entertainment, drone light shows and tourist projects in scenic spots will offer more cost-effective consumer experiences, and in the field of emergency rescue, there are many applications for aerial rescue forces, such as medical emergency assistance and urgent material transportation.
“In the medium to long term, we believe that with the continuous construction of urban new infrastructure, the continuous improvement of relevant regulations and policies, and the continuous integration and upgrading of the low-altitude ecosystem, the scenario of aerial taxis will become a reality,” said Zhang Yi, President of Guangzhou Heli Creation Intelligent Technology Co., confidently regarding the prospects of the low-altitude economy.
It was learned that on March 8th, when the Xpeng Heitech eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) Traveler X2 flew over Guangzhou, Zhang Yi wrote in his WeChat Moments: “Dreaming in the sky, setting sail in the Goat City.” Zhang Yi expressed that from the operator’s perspective, the development of the eVTOL industry is still “below the surface,” with technology and commercialization processes not yet fully mature. However, there is immense value in the applications of eVTOL in low-altitude sightseeing and short-distance commuting.
Currently, many regions are seizing the opportunities for intensive innovation and rapid development in the low-altitude economic industry, accelerating the formation of a low-altitude economic industry ecosystem. Looking at the entire low-altitude economic industry chain, the upstream and midstream aircraft material suppliers and aircraft manufacturers have developed relatively mature business formats, with leading manufacturers such as DJI, EHang, and Xpeng Heitech showcasing impressive products. It is widely believed in the industry that the current established application scenarios in the low-altitude economy mainly focus on serving enterprises or commercial clients in the B2B sector. As for application scenarios targeting ordinary consumers in the B2C sector, there is still a long way to go.
Journalist: Yan Jincheng
Source: Yangcheng Evening News – Jin Yang Net