EHang's EH216-S has an official guide price of RMB 2.39 million in China, which will be effective from April 1, 2024.

(Image credit: EHang)

Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer EHang has given its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAM) official pricing, paving the way for the next step in its development.

EHang's EH216-S has an official guide price of RMB 2.39 million ($333,000) in China, which will go into effect on April 1, 2024, the company announced today.

The EH216-S is powered by a batteries to provide the energy needed to fly and has a maximum takeoff weight of 650 kilograms, according to information previously announced by Ehang.

The UAM has a maximum flight speed of 130 kilometers per hour and a maximum endurance of 25 minutes.

EHang applied for a Type Certificate for the EH216-S to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on December 28, 2020, and the application began being reviewed in January 2021.

On October 13, 2023, Ehang announced that the EH216-S was officially issued a Type Certificate by the CAAC, qualifying it for commercial operation as a manned drone.

On December 21, the EH216-S received the standard Airworthiness Certificate (Airworthiness Certificate) and was delivered to its first customers, according to the company.

On December 28, the UAM completed its first commercial flight demonstrations in Guangzhou and Hefei.

The EH216-S will be commercially operated in scenarios such as low-altitude tours and city sightseeing, and expand the layout of various operation scenarios, Ehang said today.

In addition to Ehang, Aeroht, Xpeng's flying car division, is another player in the field in China.

Founded in 2013, Xpeng Aeroht is a tech unit majority-owned by Xpeng and its chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng.

At the Shanghai auto show in April 2021, Xpeng Aeroht unveiled the X1, which is the size of a regular car and can take off and land vertically in a parking space. After that, Xpeng announced several new versions of its flying car.

Xpeng's development path for Aeroht's flying cars will include eVTOL flying cars and modular flying cars, Xpeng said at its October 24, 2023, Tech Day event.

Xpeng Aeroht will open pre-orders for its modular flying car in China in the fourth quarter, with mass production and delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025, it announced earlier this month.

($1 = RMB 7.1802)

Xpeng Aeroht to start pre-orders for its modular flying car in China in Q4