EHang Plans Cold-weather eVTOL Trials in China’s Jilin Province

EHang plans to establish an urban air mobility (UAM) demonstration area at the Jingyue Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in Changchun, the capital of northeast China’s Jilin Province, and has received a pre-order for 41 of its two-seat EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft from Jilin Aerospace Industry Development Investment Co.

The management committee for the Jingyue Hi-tech Zone recently signed an agreement with EHang in which the two parties pledged to “jointly develop a provincial-level demonstration zone for low-altitude economic development, integrating industrial development, technological innovation, and real-world application scenarios,” EHang said in a company statement. The partners also plan to jointly research, develop, and produce composite materials for eVTOL aircraft components. 

Having earned its first air operator certificates for the type-certified EH216-S aircraft in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei earlier this year, EHang is looking to expand its operations northward into colder climates. To better understand how the aircraft operates in cold conditions, EHang will collaborate with the Jingyue Hi-tech Zone to develop a “low-altitude intelligent connected cold-region testing site” at the Jilin Drone Inspection and Testing Center. Here, EHang will conduct cold-weather testing and work with local partners to develop airworthiness standards for eVTOL aircraft operating in cold climates.

“Our collaboration with Jingyue Hi-tech Zone will help advance the integrated development of both the practical application and commercial deployment of eVTOL in cold-climate regions, establishing a benchmark for low-altitude economy applications in extreme cold regions,” said EHang chief operating officer Zhao Wang. 

“Leveraging Jingyue’s advantages—including its natural environment, policy incentives, diverse commercial use scenarios, and robust digital infrastructure—we will carry out ongoing testing to further optimize the aircraft’s performance, enhance its adaptability and safety in cold environments, and pioneer a smart low-altitude traffic management ecosystem. Our goal is to promote widespread adoption of eVTOL technology, bringing safe, efficient, intelligent, and environmentally friendly low-altitude economic solutions to more regions worldwide.”

According to EHang, Jilin will use the 41 EH216-S vehicles for urban emergency response and city traffic management operations as well as scenic sightseeing flights in popular tourist areas such as Jingyuetan National Forest Park and Changying Century City. Plans call for multiple types of operations to commence before the end of this year, with Changchun’s low-altitude economy projected to reach a value of 3 billion Chinese yuan (about $420 million) by 2026.

“We are fully committed to supporting EHang’s innovations and real-world applications in the low-altitude sector. Leveraging government resources, we will actively facilitate the deployment of the EH216-S pilotless eVTOLs across eight 5A-rated scenic destinations in Jilin Province for aerial sightseeing,” said Hongliang Zhou, secretary of Jingyue Hi-tech Zone. “This initiative will accelerate the commercialization of low-altitude applications—from passenger tourism to air mobility—[bringing] citizens and visitors a new and transformative flying experience.”