Financial Services Association, April 17 (Reporter Guo Songqiao) Since this year, the low-altitude economy has attracted attention from the capital market. At the beginning of this month, Ehang Intelligence announced that it has obtained an EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft system production license (PC) issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This is the first production license in the global eVTOL industry. It marks that the EH216-S has taken the lead in large-scale production and also provides an important guarantee for the next step in commercial operation.

During the 4th China International Consumer Goods Fair (hereinafter referred to as “Consumer Expo”) hosted on April 13-18, Ehang Intelligence also showcased the EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft, which attracted the attention of many parties.

Regarding the development of the low-altitude economy industry and the company's future plans, the Finance Association reporter interviewed He Tianxing, vice president of Ehang Intelligence, in the Ehang Intelligence exhibition area.

Financial Federation: Currently, the capital market is paying great attention to the low-altitude economy circuit. According to your observations, what stage of development is it still at?

He Tianxing: We are now in the phase from inception to development and growth. Most domestic machine manufacturers are still in the early stages of R&D and test flights. Later, they will still have to go through a large number of test flights and airworthiness certification and certification processes, and it will take a certain period of time to enter the commercialization process. Eaviation has taken the lead in obtaining the three major “airworthiness passes” issued by the Civil Aviation Administration: model certification, production license, and standard airworthiness certificate. It has full commercialization qualifications, and will contribute valuable experience to the development of commercial operations in the industry and the development of application scenarios. Next, we will continue to expand application scenarios, implement model construction for low-altitude economy application scenarios in key regions and important cities, accumulate more commercial operation experience, gradually popularize standardized services for urban low-altitude traffic, and ultimately achieve industry benefits for the low-altitude economy.

In the next 3-5 years, the low-altitude economy will definitely move from the science popularization stage to the popularization stage. There will be more and more low-altitude application scenarios, and there will also be more and more model cities for low-altitude flight. I believe more people will experience normalized low-altitude transportation and commuting. eVTOL will become an important tool to effectively and efficiently supplement transportation, and will also become a new choice for mass consumption.

Financial Federation: What are the benefits of participating in the Consumer Expo for Ehang Intelligence?

He Tianxing: I think the biggest gain is to let everyone understand what the low-altitude economy and driverless driving are, and how this industry will change people's lives and consumption scenarios in the future. In fact, when talking about the low-altitude economy now, the public often first thinks of aircraft, but they can't imagine what this industry serves or what it consumes.

The core value of the low-altitude economy in the future must still be consumer value, that is, what kind of lifestyle changes can the low-altitude industry bring to ordinary people, what kind of lifestyle services it can provide to everyone, and how it can save costs and improve efficiency. These are all topics that need to be considered. The core value still returns to consumption, so it is compatible with the consumer fair and the low-altitude economy industry.

Ehang developed an unmanned manned aircraft with the aim of building an “air taxi” to solve current urban traffic problems and save a lot of time and money for the whole society. The company expects to launch official commercial operations in cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hefei this year, and related infrastructure such as charging aprons will also be put into use.

Financial Federation: Does Ehang Smart have any plans to carry out related layout or application in Hainan? In which regions will it be established or operated in the future?

He Tianxing: In the next 1-2 years, Ehang Intelligence will develop a low-altitude application scenario layout around low-altitude tours, city tours, and transportation connections on some fixed routes. At the same time, it will also begin project implementation around Hainan's unique cultural tourism scenarios, including low-altitude tours, city tourism (island sightseeing, coastline sightseeing), and the construction of low-altitude transportation routes around the island, etc., to build a model city for the low-altitude economy industry throughout the country.

Financial Federation: Does Ehang Smart currently have exports? Which countries are you already exporting to?

He Tianxing: At present, the company's products have been exported to more than a dozen countries, including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil.

Financial News Agency: According to your observations, which regions or cities will take the lead in low-altitude manned flights?

He Tianxing: Currently, the company is promoting regions such as the Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta. These regional policies and aspects are being promoted relatively quickly. For example, in the Greater Bay Area, the low-altitude economy and the entire industry are now being promoted faster than in other places. Priority industrial forms are implemented, and policy impetus must be a priority. Specifically, when it comes to cities, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hefei, and Wuhan are expected to become the first tier cities to achieve low-altitude manned flights.

As a new field, large-scale application of eVTOLs in cities requires a complete low-altitude supervision and service guarantee system, infrastructure to meet the take-off, landing and charging of eVTOL aircraft, and necessary policy support from relevant regulators. It is inseparable from the joint efforts of various actors. For example, whether the ground infrastructure is perfect and whether the digital management network platform for low-altitude airspace is sound, these are all aspects we need to consider in our layout.

Financial Federation: What problems are still facing the development of the low-altitude economy industry?

He Tianxing: First, infrastructure construction for low-altitude economic development still needs to be improved, including infrastructure for in-city ground flight take-off and landing sites, charging equipment, terminals, and consumer functional zones, as well as new infrastructure for low-altitude digital management networks to ensure the orderly safety of more aircraft when flying in the sky at the same time in the future. The second is to step up the weakening of industry policies, introduce more detailed and standardized policies in flight airspace approval, aircraft flight supervision, enforcement of low-altitude economic legislation, land use planning for ground infrastructure, etc., and continuously expand and increase the development of application scenarios. The third is to increase the training of professional talents, including technical, operational, and service talents, and at the same time increase the popularization of science in the industry, increase low-altitude popularity, and let more people understand the positive value of the low-altitude consumer economy.