Xishan Tourism on Friday announced plans with EHang to launch eVTOL sightseeing flights around the city of Taiyuan in China’s Shanxi province. The state-owned company signed a memorandum of understanding covering an initial order for 50 of EHang’s two-seat autonomous EH216-S aircraft, with options for another 450 units over the next two years.
The contract for the first 50 eVTOL aircraft is RMB 113 million ($15.6 million). This represents a unit price of RMB2.26 million ($312,000) per vehicle, which is slightly below the RMB2.39 base price EHang announced for the Chinese domestic market in February.
Under the terms of the agreement, EHang will work with Xishan Tourism to establish an operating base in Taiyuan’s new Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park. This will include EHang’s command and control center for the flights, as well as marketing and sales support and a research institute.
Eventually, Xishan Tourism will operate the flights itself, with EHang providing training and support in the early stages. The companies have yet to confirm when the first revenue flights will begin or how much passengers will pay. Initial routes will give views of Xishan Mountain and the nearby Fenhe River.
The partners said they aim to gradually expand the pilotless eVTOL air service to other parts of Shanxi province and northern China. In addition to aerial tourism, other types of passenger transportation could be introduced with the EH216-S vehicle.
China’s government has designated Shanxi province to be part of a “national demonstration program” for the the development of the general aviation industry. More specifically, Taiyuan is one of a number of cities selected to participate in a national demonstration of civil uncrewed aviation.
Xishan Tourism was established in 2019 and includes infrastructure and industrial development units. In April, Shanxi’s provincial governor Xiangjun Jim visited EHang’s headquarters in Guangzhou and expressed his support for a partnership to develop the region’s low-altitude economy.
The EH216-S achieved type certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in October 2023. In April, the company was issued with a production certificate to allow series manufacturing to begin. EHang has previously demonstrated the aircraft in sub-zero temperatures in northern China when snow was on the ground.