Ehang presents new electric VTOL VT35 with 200 km range

At the end of March, Ehang received the final approvals for its EH216-S model to commence commercial flight operations with the automated aircraft, thereby beating all national and international competitors in the race to certify a flying taxi. And now the Hefei-based company is already following up with the VT35, an aircraft that is designed to cover significantly longer distances than the EH216-S. While the EH216-S can only cover short distances of up to 35 kilometres and is used for tourist sightseeing flights, for example, the VT35 is designed to cover significantly longer distances of 200 kilometres. The VT35 is designed for one-hour flights at a cruising speed of 216 kph.

Ehang cites examples of applications for the new aircraft such as city-to-city connections, but also crossing mountains or sea routes. With its autonomous flight capability, point-to-point efficiency and environmentally friendly electric drive, the VT35 is set to play a decisive role in the further development of the low-altitude air mobility ecosystem, from urban to interurban corridors, according to the manufacturer.

At the official presentation of the aircraft in Hefei, EHang also announced the official price of the standard version of the VT35 for the Chinese domestic market, which was set at 6.5 million yuan. That is equivalent to just under 800,000 euros.

The VT35 has a tandem wing layout with two seats. It uses eight distributed lift propellers for vertical take-off and landing and can be converted to a pusher propeller and fixed wing for efficient cruise flight. It is approximately 8 metres long with a wingspan of 8 metres, a height of 3 metres and a maximum take-off weight of 950 kg.

The VT35 is particularly compatible with existing EH216-S vertiports and can use a variety of urban take-off and landing sites, including parks, rooftops, car parks, etc. This interoperability is expected to significantly improve infrastructure utilisation and support seamless intercity air mobility directly between city centres. The VT35 will also benefit from the successful certification experience of the EH216-S: Ehang intends to use the technical and regulatory insights gained from this to optimise the testing and approval process for the VT35.

Wang Zhao, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, said at the event: “Coinciding with the second anniversary of the EH216-S’s Type Certification, VT35’s launch marks the evolution of EHang’s long-range product line and a major milestone towards our advanced air mobility vision. Together with our partners, we will accelerate the commercialization of pilotless eVTOL aircrafts across diverse application scenarios, fostering a new, integrated urban–intercity low-altitude transportation ecosystem.”

ehang.com, ehang.com (product page)

This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition