EHang announced this week via a press release that a new factory is to be built in the southern Guangdong province to manufacture their passenger-carrying drones. The facility will cost USD6 million with an initial capacity of building 600craft a year. Local government are covering some of the factory costs. EHang intends to build both the single-seat 116 AAV and the two-seat 216 AAV.
The release states, “The EHang Yunfu facility aims to become an industry-leading autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) production centre, including an R&D facility for air mobility solutions and a training centre for operations and technical talents.”
The company’s Founder and CEO, Huazhi Hu, is quoted, “The increasing market demands and commercialisation of AAVs in China are driving us to expand our production and upgrade manufacturing capabilities. The EHang Yunfu facility serves as an expansion of the existing facility and will support the growth of our air mobility business in China.”
The EHang AAV 216 weighs up to 220 kg and can fly up to 30 km between battery charges. These vehicles are more likely to be used for short hops within and over congested cities. They might also be deployed to carry medical patients as an autonomous air ambulance.
EHang describes itself as “a world’s leading AAV technology platform company.” The company press release states, “Our mission is to make safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. EHang provides customers in various industries with AAV products and commercial solutions including air mobility (including passenger transportation and logistics), smart city management, and aerial media solutions.”
It goes on, “As a forerunner of cutting-edge AAV technologies and commercial solutions in the global Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry, EHang continues to explore the boundaries of the sky to make flying technologies benefit our life in smart cities.”
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