EHang joins European Union project for UAM demonstrations

EHang Holdings Ltd. (Gaungzhou, China) announced on Jan. 21 its membership in the Air Mobility Urban - Large Experimental Demonstration (AMU-LED) project, said to be one of the largest European demonstrations of urban air mobility (UAM). Initiated by the European Union (EU), the consortium executing the AMU-LED project involves 17 prominent companies and institutions globally, including EHang and industry giants such as Airbus (Toulouse, France) and Boeing (Chicago, Ill., U.S.). For the duration of 2022, EHang will perform trial operations of the EH216, its flagship two-seat passenger-grade AAV, in Spain, the U.K. and the Netherlands.

More specifically, the AMU-LED is an EU H2020 project framed in the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, with the ultimate goal of showcasing one of the largest demonstrations of mobility services with air vehicles and the safe integration of different types of drone operations, otherwise known as U-space, in urban environments to realize increasingly sustainable, smart cities by 2022. Planned for two years with more than 100 flight hours, the AMU-LED will kick off in Jan. 2021 showcasing various use cases for passenger transport in air taxis, cargo transport, delivery of goods and medical equipment, inspection of infrastructures, police surveillance and emergency services support.

Through the AMU-LED program, EHang says it will increase its interaction with European regulatory bodies including EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and EUROCONTROL (European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation). This cooperative effort should pave the way for the formulation of relevant UAM policies and standards and contribute to the implementation of UAM in Europe.

Further, participation in the AMU-LED project will enable EHang to demonstrate the benefits of its AAV products and technology platform solutions, which, according to EHang, enable smart city management, shorten the travel time of both people and goods and reduce air pollution and traffic accidents. EHang believes the AMU-LED is a great opportunity to demonstrate the promise of autonomous air taxis and further inspire the global UAM community to develop new product innovations and enabling legal frameworks.

EHang also notes that, in regard to this project, the company has been keeping an eye on the development of the European market. EHang has achieved multiple milestones in UAM development in Europe. For example, in 2020, the company made regulatory breakthroughs by obtaining flight permits for the EH216 from the civil aviation authorities of Norway and Austria. So far it has expanded its UAM Pilot City Initiative to three cities in Austria and Spain, and established strategic UAM partnerships with FACC AG (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) and Vodafone, a telecoms and technology service providers.