China-based EHang shared footage on July 22 of its two-seat EH216 autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) completing a demonstration flight tour across four cities in Japan this month.
EHang said it performed what it believes to be Japan’s first eVTOL flight test over the sea on July 6 to demonstrate aerial sightseeing in Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture, as well as Japan’s first point-to-point flight on July 13 to demonstrate aerial transport in Oita City in Oita Prefecture.
The aircraft also completed a flight on July 18 in Amagasaki City in Hyogo Prefecture during a ceremony to count down 1,000 days until the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, as well as a flight on July 21 where the EH216 carried 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of cargo to demonstrate logistics transportation in Sakaide City in Kagawa Prefecture. Along with the demonstration flights, the EH216 was also exhibited in downtown Oita on July 14.
“We are very pleased to complete the EH216 demo flight tour in four Japanese cities, which has set our footprint in up to six cities across Japan, and laid a solid foundation for our continuous expansion in the Japanese market,” said Hu Huazhi, founder, chair and CEO of EHang. “With EHang’s first mover advantages and leading expertise in AAV technologies, we expect to have the opportunity to provide EH216 flights for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and implement EHang’s safe, autonomous and eco-friendly UAM [urban air mobility] solutions in Japan in the near future.”
