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EHang returned to the top slot in the April 2024 edition of the AAM Reality Index, with a score of 8.5/10, reflecting the Chinese startup’s advanced production capabilities compared to the rest of the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry.
The first OEM to receive type certification for an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle last October, EHang reported producing 52 examples of its unmanned EH216-S autonomous multicopter in 2023, far more than any other AAM startup.
In addition to its production numbers for 2023, EHang’s ranking was further boosted by receiving its Production Organization Approval (POA) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) earlier in April, which should allow it to build at even higher rates in 2024, according to Sergio Cecutta, president of index maker SMG Consulting.
EHang has said that its factory in Yunfu, China, has the capacity to churn out up to 650 aircraft per year.
“EHang produced 52 airplanes around last year, and that puts them in a capability that no one else has—no one else in this industry can build 52 of anything yet,” Cecutta said. “Now with its POA in hand, we think it can go even higher.”
Volocopter, meanwhile, rose to the second-highest ranking in the index, with a score of 8.4, reflecting continued progress toward type certification as the company moves closer to receiving its Permit to Fly from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“Progressing toward this milestone jives with the understanding that Volocopter will be able to certify sometime this year,” Cecutta says.
Further down the index, Airbus rose from 6.5 to 7.2, putting it in a tie for seventh place as it continues to make progress on its CityAirbus NextGen air taxi, having rolled out a full-scale prototype in March.
Archer and AutoFlight, on the other hand, both saw their scores tick down slightly, to 7.8 and 6.8, respectively, reflecting a change in methodology to account for the fact that neither startup has so far flown a piloted prototype.
The April 2024 AAM Reality Index also saw the inclusion of Chinese startup TCab Tech for the first time, which debuted with a score of 6.2.
In another change in April, SMG Consulting broke out makers of cargo drones into a separate index, which Cecutta said was meant to achieve a more balanced comparison as those aircraft do not require type certification to begin operations.
The top 10 companies in the AAM Reality Index were EHang (8.5), Volocopter (8.4), Joby (8), Beta Technologies (8), Archer (7.8), Wisk (7.4), Eve (7.2), Airbus (7.2), Vertical Aerospace (7.1) and Aerofugia (7.1).
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