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2025 is shaping up to become a milestone year for the Chinese eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company EHang. After having recently unveiled a spectacular 3D vertical-lift vertiport in China, EHang is now announcing a strategic partnership for eVTOL manufacturing.
The Archer-Stellantis partnership is the most notorious collaboration between an eVTOL company and an established automotive giant. But the Midnight air taxi won’t be the only passenger-carrying eVTOL backed by a carmaker. EHang has announced a strategic partnership with JAC Motors, a well-known automotive group and one of China’s top 100 industrial enterprises. Hefei Guoxian Holdings has also joined forces with these two to advance the development of low-altitude aircraft.
This wide-scale project will cover everything from the R&D to the manufacturing and sales of pilotless air taxis. One of the specific goals is to set up a dedicated aircraft manufacturing base in Hefei for mass production. JAC Motors brings its expertise in automobile manufacturing to the table; this includes things like advanced production line processes, supply chain management, and scaled manufacturing capabilities.
The EH216-S eVTOL made headlines a couple of years ago when it officially became the first pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL to obtain a type certificate and standard airworthiness certificate. It was an industry first and a major milestone for the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) industry worldwide. EHang has conducted several demonstration flights in multiple locations across the globe, including Japan, Thailand, and Cuba.
This compact two-seat aircraft is designed for short-distance flights of no more than 30 km (18.6 miles) at a top speed of 130 kph (80 mph). The most important characteristic of this air taxi is that it’s entirely autonomous.
Last month, EHang also unveiled the first vertiport specifically designed for the EH216-S aircraft. It’s located at EHang’s Luohu UAM Center in China, and it boasts a truly unique, futuristic design. The three-dimensional structure is entirely autonomous, just like the aircraft. It operates vertically, meaning that the eVTOL is lifted from the first floor to the second floor via a dedicated platform for each takeoff. The first floor houses the hangar and doubles as a boarding area, and the takeoff and landing pad is fitted with rapid charging.
EHang’s innovative eVTOL hub is located in the beautiful Luohu Sports and Leisure Park, known for its natural resources and unique landscapes. This is where the EH216-S will conduct aerial sightseeing flights for tourists. Operations are due to start this year, now that the new vertiport is in place.
In the US, the Stellantis-backed Archer Aviation has completed the construction of its eVTOL manufacturing facility for the Midnight aircraft in Covington, Georgia. This is set to become the world’s biggest of its kind (400,000 square feet/37,160 square meters) and scale up eVTOL manufacturing in the US.
