EHang Unveils VT-30 eVTOL

China-based urban air mobility (UAM) company EHang has officially introduced its new VT-30 “long-range” autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV). The two-passenger autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will feature eight propellers on each side, a pusher prop and fly-by-wire control system. With an expected range of up to 300 km (162 NM), the company says the VT-30 AAV is designed for travel between cities.

“Our passenger-grade AAV EH216 is already fully equipped to travel in the cities with its lightweighted and streamlined structure, and the launch of the VT-30 provides a powerful complement to the inter-city air traffic network by meeting needs for covering longer distance,” said EHang founder and CEO Huazhi Hu. “We will work continuously to obtain regulatory certification for our various AAV products, including the VT-30, and provide a more convenient and efficient public urban air mobility operational services.”

EHang reports that testing of the VT-30 prototype is underway with vertical take-off and landing and power system tests having been conducted. The model will be capable of both vertical and taxi takeoff and landing. As previously reported by AVweb, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) established a type certification team for EHang’s EH216 AAV last April.