China’s EHang says it expects to receive type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) “soon,” having now completed all of the planned compliance tests required to certify its two-passenger EH216-S autonomous electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle.

Since late last year, EHang has been working through the final stage of the type certification process, in which it must prove to regulators through an extensive testing regime that it complies with the criteria spelled out in its certification basis. In May, the company said it was 90% complete with the process. Now, it says it has worked through 100% of required tests and is just waiting on some final procedures before it receives its type certification imminently.

EHang also said that it has successfully completed its “definitive” type certification flight test, which was conducted recently with representatives from the CAAC in attendance. 

Completion of the final stage of type certification puts EHang on track to become the first company in the world to type certify an eVTOL aircraft. Among Western OEMs, Germany’s Volocopter expects to certify by mid-2024 with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), while Archer and Joby Aviation are both targeting late 2024 for certification with the FAA.

“We are thrilled to announce that we have successfully completed all the planned tests for EH216-S type certification,” EHang founder and CEO Huazi Huo said in a statement. “This achievement marks a significant, unprecedented milestone in the global emerging eVTOL industry, underscoring our unwavering dedication and pioneering advantages. Additionally, this sets the stage for us to secure the type certificate soon and proceed with our endeavors to initiate commercial operations.”

The autonomous EH216-S is designed to carry two passengers on tourism and aerial sightseeing trips of up to 35 km (22 mi.) at a top speed of 135 km/hr. (81 mph) and maximum altitude of 3,000 m. 

EHang has been working to lay the groundwork for commercialization as it progresses through the certification process. The company says it has established 20 sites for trial operations across 18 cities in China, and has conducted more than 9,300 operational trials for low-altitude tourism and aerial sightseeing at those sites to date. Flight demonstrations have also been performed in foreign countries including Belgium, Israel and Japan, expanding the startup’s flight footprint to 14 total countries, it says. 

EHang currently has 100 domestic aircraft orders in its pipeline, although the company expects that figure to quickly grow following type certification. For example, five aircraft were delivered in the second quarter (Q2) to joint venture partner Xiyu Tourism, but EHang says this collaboration could expand to up to 120 aircraft orders within five years.

In July, EHang signed another important domestic strategic partnership with the municipal government of Shenzhen’s Bao’an District, a special economic zone for low-altitude aviation. That effort will aim to jointly establish a variety of facilities to encourage development of a low-altitude UAM Operation Demonstration Center; Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Assembly and Delivery Center; Research and Development Testing Center; and Maintenance Support Center to support future operations.

EHang also announced that the CAAC has approved trial operations of its Unmanned Aircraft Cloud System, which includes management of airspace, UAVs, flight plans and operators, allowing for "cluster management" of multiple aircraft within the same space. The UACS system will become a "crucial component" in commercial operations after the EH216-S receives its type certificate, according to EHang. 

The company says it is encouraged by policy actions taken by the central Chinese government to support a low-altitude economy for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)  and eVTOLs. For example, up to 16 provincial governments have included specific provisions supporting low-altitude commercial activity in their 2023 Government Work Reports, according to EHang. And in June, the country’s State Council and Central Military Commission issued its Interim Measures for the Flight Management of UAVs, intended to provide a “clear and comprehensive regulatory system for different types of UAVs,” including eVTOLs, EHang said.

“These actions have created a very favorable policy environment to accelerate the development of this new industry in China,” Hu said.

EHang added to its cash balance in July through a $23 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) from South Korean music mogul Lee Moo San, bringing its total liquidity to roughly $45 million as of July 31.  

The company realized an adjusted net loss of $51.8 million in Q2, compared with $33.6 million in Q1, with the difference mainly attributable to increased spending related to the extensive series of tests carried out in the final stage of the type certification process.

EHang was tied in third place alongside Beta Technologies and Archer Aviation in the latest edition of SMG Consulting’s AAM Reality Index with a score of 8.1 out of 10, trailing Joby Aviation and Volocopter in first and second place, respectively.