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EHang EH216 Set to Cost USD$302,000

by Ben Mirwani
EHang EH216 Set to Cost USD$302,000

Nick Yang, a director at Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang, said the cost of purchasing an EH216 electric aircraft will be USD$302,000. 

The price point, reported by FlightGlobal, may seem high, but Yang tried to play it down by comparing the two-seater eVTOL to the high-end vehicles people purchase. “It’s about the price of a Porsche, and half the price of a Ferrari,” he said. 

Delving into the certification progress, Yang acknowledged EHang is “90 percent” of the way to obtaining certification for the EH216 from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 2023. 

Once this happens, the aim is to establish routes in tourist destinations in two to three years. Flights between cities such as Hong Kong and Macau will be the next course of action. Ultimately, he sees eVTOLs becoming fully adopted in the next seven to ten years. 

Yang added securing CAAC certification is just the starting point as EHang will look to certificate its aircraft in foreign markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 

EHang sold 185 EH216 eVTOLs at the end of 2022 but has over 1,200 pre-orders globally for the aircraft and the longer-range VT-30. EHang also has more than 100 orders for the EH216-S in China. 

While resort operators will be the primary users of the aircraft at the start, Yang wants to target customers in suburban areas. He explained that the eVTOLs will be based at heliports operated by EHang partners. Owners wanting to fly will need to call ahead of time so that the vertiport team can prepare their EH216 for flight. 

“Customers are all over the place, and each customer has maybe taken one or two,” Yang said. “It’s not a big batch, but customers usually want to order at least ten. They have a lot of appetite.”

EHang’s EH216 can travel a total distance of 30 km at a maximum speed of 130 kph.

Earlier this month, the Guangzhou-based firm announced plans to develop Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in Latin America, hold demonstrations for its EH216-S in Israel, and develop the first electric aircraft manufacturing facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

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