China’s EHang Completes First Electric Air Taxi Flight in Brazil

The company on Tuesday said it completed an initial test flight of its uncrewed EH216-S in Brazil, conducted just over one week after securing an experimental flight authorization certificate from the country’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) permitting the beginning of trial operations.

EHang is working with ANAC and the Brazilian Airspace Control Department (DECEA) to complete a series of test initiatives designed to help develop a concept of operations and uncrewed air traffic management (UTM) system for the model.

“The ongoing test and trial flight campaigns for the EH216-S in Brazil will allow us to accrue a vast amount of data, information, and operational experience, which in turn will pave the way for developing safe, efficient, eco-friendly, and accessible urban air mobility for everyone across Brazil and Latin America,” said Victoria Xiang, chief operating officer of EHang Europe and Latin America.

EHang is one of several manufacturers building for the urban air mobility (UAM) industry—or the low-altitude economy, as Chinese officials call it—which is innovating new ways to move customers and cargo across cities or metropolitan areas. But unlike the FAA, China’s CAAC is encouraging firms to start with self-flying air taxis, believing them to be safer than piloted alternatives.

EHang’s model is designed to fly two passengers at a top speed of just over 80 mph, with a maximum takeoff weight north of 1,350 pounds. The fully electric aircraft can be charged in just two hours and has a range of about 16 nm.

The EH216-S includes multiple flight control systems and redundant components. It uses high-speed wireless data links to communicate with a remote command and control center, and its fail-safe system can autonomously select an alternative route in an emergency scenario.

The model in October became the first eVTOL air taxi to obtain type certification from a national aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which in subsequent months issued production and airworthiness approvals. Already, EHang has conducted several commercial demonstration flights in China.

But this week marked the first time the aircraft lifted off in Brazil. The test flight took place in Quadra, São Paulo, with local operating partner Gohobby Future Technologies, which received its first EHang aircraft in December. Several Brazilian aviation officials were present, according to the company.

In August, the ANAC and CAAC agreed upon revised procedures for validating each others’ aircraft certifications, allowing aircraft to more easily be approved, exported, and imported by the countries. The regulators also signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their partnership on airworthiness technology exchange, legislation, and certification training.

In addition, ANAC officials have visited EHang facilities in China. The agency is now working with the firm to identify a regulatory framework for operations in Brazil, opening the skies for the EH216-S.

Brazil is also home to Embraer and its eVTOL air taxi arm, Eve Air Mobility, which rolled out its first prototype aircraft in June. The company is similarly working closely with ANAC and received proposed airworthiness criteria for its flagship design in December.

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