EHang says it will soon be ready to flight test an eVTOL aircraft that will have a longer range than its existing EH216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle, which is limited to a range of around 22 miles. In a statement that appeared to respond to a flurry of rumors that the new aircraft will be able to fly 400 km (248 miles), the Chinese company declined to provide more details, beyond claiming that it will have “many new breakthrough features” and be ready to fly within “months.”
Despite the excitement created by this week’s rumors, EHang in fact confirmed back in August 2020 that it is working on a longer-range aircraft. Chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu mentioned the project while reporting second-quarter financial results for EHang on August 25, and when pressed for more details chief strategy officer Edward Xu would say only that the range will be over 100 km (62 miles).
The company has declined to explain how this range will be achieved from an all-electric aircraft entirely dependent on existing battery technology. The EH216 is a multicopter that does not have the wing that would normally be required to extend range, suggesting that EHang's new model could be radically different from the current portfolio.
Speaking at Aero Montreal’s International Aerospace Innovation Forum on December 15, Martine Rothblatt—founder of United Therapeutics, which is looking to use eVTOL aircraft for transporting human organs for transplant—said that EHang is looking to deliver a range of 250 nautical miles (287 miles or 459 km). Her company is an investor in EHang, and she indicated that the company has provisionally agreed to purchase up to 1,000 of its aircraft over 15 years if the extended range can be delivered.
United Therapeutics is also a financial backer for Beta Technologies in its efforts to develop the Alia 250 eVTOL. This is expected to meet the 250-nautical-mile target.
Meanwhile, EHang is now facing at least four class-action lawsuits initiated by investors alleging that the company misled them over its value and performance in breach of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. EHang denies these accusations, which were first raised in a contentious report published by short-selling advocate Wolfpack Research. It has threatened to sue Wolfpack but, as of March 9, FutureFlight could find no evidence of a case having been filed, and EHang had not responded to questions about the case. The two companies appear to have halted a war of words largely conducted via social media and press releases.
