Finance Association, May 30 (Reporter Guo Songjiao, Researcher Zhang Yuhong) Recently, Ehang Intelligence, known as the “big brother” of the low-altitude economy, 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, marking that the EH216-S has taken the lead in large-scale production. As soon as this news came out, it attracted the attention of the capital market.

As a pioneer in the low-altitude economy, how does Ehang Intelligence understand the low-altitude resource industrial chain? He Tianxing, vice president of Ehang Intelligence, revealed in an exclusive interview with the Financial Federation that he will continue to work to push the EH216-S into a new growth stage of commercial operation. While meeting urban traffic needs, it also promotes R&D, testing, and airworthiness certification of driverless manned multi-wing eVTOL models specially built for intercity traffic, so as to meet other needs in the global urban air traffic field. At the same time, model construction of low-altitude economic application scenarios is being carried out in important cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hefei to prepare for the next step in commercial operation of urban air traffic.

Financial Federation: If the low-altitude economy is represented by drone operations, how can we understand the low-altitude resource industry chain, and how can low-altitude resources be developed? How big is it?

He Tianxing: The low-altitude economy covers scenarios such as air traffic, air travel, and air logistics. Through low-altitude aircraft, it can radiate and drive integrated development in related fields. It has great potential for development, and can bring us more efficient and convenient urban life. The Roland Berger report predicts that by 2050, nearly 100,000 eVTOL aircraft will be put into use at low altitude worldwide. Morgan Stanley's industry report predicts that the global eVTOL market will be worth $9 trillion by 2050.

Furthermore, according to data released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, China's low-altitude economy has already exceeded 500 billion yuan in 2023, and is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025; it is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan in 2030, and 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. According to a white paper published by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Digital Economy Research Institute, the contribution value of the low-altitude economy to China's national economy will reach 3 trillion yuan to 5 trillion yuan by 2025.

Financial Federation: As a leading enterprise in the low-altitude economy industry, what are the key layouts of Ehang Intelligence this year?

He Tianxing: At present, the EH216-S has obtained a model certificate, production license, and standard airworthiness certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the commercial operation of the EH216-S is being steadily promoted in accordance with the plan. Eaviation is also continuing to work with global partners to jointly expand application scenarios. We are developing model construction for low-altitude economic application scenarios in important cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hefei to prepare for the next step in commercial operation of urban air traffic.

Furthermore, it will continue to work to push the EH216-S into a new growth stage of commercial operation. While meeting urban traffic needs, it will also promote R&D, testing, and airworthiness certification of driverless manned composite wing eVTOL models specially designed for intercity traffic, thereby meeting other needs in the global urban air traffic field.

Financial News Agency: Compared to aircraft manufacturing, what new technologies and issues will be involved in the eVTOL development process?

He Tianxing: Compared to traditional aircraft, manned eVTOLs are an emerging field, and every advance is exploring the path of “no ancient people before”. In 2016, Ehang Intelligence launched the world's first unmanned manned aircraft. After continuous testing and development, an iteratively upgraded version of the EH216-S unmanned manned aircraft was launched. As a disruptive innovative technology and product, the EH216-S has huge differences compared to traditional aircraft in terms of technical architecture, configuration, performance, function, etc., as well as operation mode and flight environment.

However, in the early years, no country in the world had airworthiness certification standards applicable to unmanned manned aerial systems such as the EH216-S. Based on innovative ideas to support innovative projects, the Civil Aviation Administration creatively established and formulated certification standards based on existing civil aviation general airworthiness certification policies, regulations, standards and experience. In February 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the “Special Conditions for the Ehang EH216-S Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System” as an airworthiness standard for this project, filling the gap in the global manned unmanned aerial vehicle certification standard system, pointing the direction for the EH216-S model qualification process, and also providing reference value for other countries in formulating such standards.

Financial News Agency: In fact, the concept of air travel is still very new. Will the consumption of aircraft as vehicles to serve people's lives be relatively high?

He Tianxing: Compared to traditional general aviation aircraft, the Ehang unmanned aerial vehicle is driven by pure electricity, does not require a pilot, and is less expensive to operate. Therefore, in the future, when aircraft are used on a large scale, services will be provided at a price that the public can afford.

Financial Federation: In your eyes, what will the actual application scenarios of the low-altitude economy look like in the future?

He Tianxing: The low-altitude economy covers scenarios such as air traffic, air travel, and air logistics. Through low-altitude aircraft, it can radiate and drive integrated development in related fields. It has huge potential for development, and can bring people a more efficient and convenient urban life. For example, “air taxis”. In the future, everyone can get there point-to-point by going to the nearest station and choosing a good destination. Solve the pain points of current urban traffic congestion and save a lot of time and money for the whole society.