EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) has announced new progress in implementing real-world Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications for medical emergency transport uses to combat the coronavirus outbreak in China. Related: EHang’s IPO Results in $662 Million Valuation In recent exercises for the prevention and control of coronavirus epidemic organized by the local authorities of Hezhou city in Guangxi province, EHang 216, the two-seat passenger-grade AAV...
EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) has announced new progress in implementing real-world Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications for medical emergency transport uses to combat the coronavirus outbreak in China.
In recent exercises for the prevention and control of coronavirus epidemic organized by the local authorities of Hezhou city in Guangxi province, EHang 216, the two-seat passenger-grade AAV successfully transported medical supplies from Hezhou Square to the Hezhou People’s Hospital, which is 4 kilometers apart, by accurately landing on a 25-story rooftop of the hospital.
The EHang 216 AAV autonomously returned following the delivery. The 8-kilometer round-trip flight operation was unmanned which is critical in current epidemic situation. This has opened up a new opportunity for EHang’s AAVs in immediate UAM applications such as medical emergency transport, which currently largely relies on ambulance cars or helicopters.
More importantly, designed as a passenger-grade AAV, EHang 216 can not only transport medical supplies, but also transport personnel in emergency situations. Edward Xu, EHang’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), took a 4-kilometer autonomous flight from the city center and landed safely on the rooftop of the hospital (picture below) in one of the series of urban passenger-carrying flights to test run this use case in Hezhou, including the flights at nights, with the range covering the whole city (over 15 kilometers) and at a cruising speed as high as 90 kilometers per hour.
EHang 216 preparing to land with CSO Edward Xu aboard, proving its ability to assist in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Credit // EHang
“Personally, I’m proud to be one of the passengers to take the initial autonomous flights for medical emergency transport, and enjoyed the safe, fast and smooth journey. In urban emergency situation, this enables people or goods to be transported efficiently across the city in nearly straight-line routes. More importantly, as a passenger, I was free to enjoy my tea and urban scenery during the whole flight as everything was automatically piloted,” said Edward. “Such successful flights have demonstrated EHang’s capabilities in delivering safe and high quality AAVs to meet mission-critical demands in real life. We will continue to implement more UAM applications.”
Why it’s important: From surveillance to medical supply deliveries, China has deployed many cutting edge technologies in support of the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. EHang has proven the ability of its 216 eVTOL to support in these critical circumstances, and is not the first demonstration of aerial mobility technology being used in real-world medical support applications. An increase in the variety of successful executions of urban air mobility technology continues to advance the mobility industry and expand what many have thought possible for the utility of these vehicles.
EHang, a leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, announced the appointment of Mr. Huaxiang (Edward) Xu as Chief Strategy Officer of the Company (“CSO”), effective as of July 1, 2019. Before joining EHang, Mr. Xu served as Head of Asia (ex-Japan) Transportation Research at Morgan Stanley. During his 15-year career as an equity research analyst at Morgan Stanley, he covered China’s aerospace and transportation industries extensively,...
EHang, a leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, announced the appointment of Mr. Huaxiang (Edward) Xu as Chief Strategy Officer of the Company (“CSO”), effective as of July 1, 2019.
Before joining EHang, Mr. Xu served as Head of Asia (ex-Japan) Transportation Research at Morgan Stanley. During his 15-year career as an equity research analyst at Morgan Stanley, he covered China’s aerospace and transportation industries extensively, including airlines, logistics, airports, and railways, among others. He had participated in several major IPO projects led by Morgan Stanley, such as ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc, Kerry Logistics Network Limited, Airasia Group BHD, BTS Rail Mass Transit Growth Infrastructure Fund, and BOC Aviation Limited. He has been ranked consistently among the Top 3 All-Asia Transportation Analyst by Institutional Investor magazine for the past few years and was well recognized among both the investment community and the logistics industry. Mr. Xu is a CFA charter holder and obtained an MBA degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Morgan Stanley’s Asia Transportation Research Head, Mr. Huaxiang (Edward) Xu, Joins EHang as Chief Strategy Officer.
Mr. Xu reports to EHang’s founder, chairman and CEO, Mr. Huazhi Hu, and is in charge of the strategic planning and execution of the Company. Mr. Huazhi Hu said: “We believe Mr. Xu’s professional experiences and industry expertise in transportation, logistics and aviation will further strengthen EHang’s leading position in the global urban air mobility (“UAM”) industry, and empower EHang’s future growth.”
About EHang
EHang is an AAV technology platform company and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the EHang 184 eVTOL, which is currently being flight tested. The company’s mission is to “make safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.” EHang provides customers in various industries with AAV products and commercial solutions, including passenger transportation, logistics, smart city management and aerial media solutions.
Recently, EHang has also formed partnerships with DHL and FACC to strengthen their efforts and take advantage of potential synergies. the company even offered test rides in their EHang 184 eVTOL at the 4GAMECHANGERS Festival 2019. For more information, please visit EHang’s website.
Why it’s important
EHang is seeking market share in the growing global Urban Air Mobility industry, and has expressed its goal to “explore the boundaries of the sky to make flying technologies benefit our life in smart cities.” The company has also made significant strides toward bringing its vehicle to market in the near future, and a foundation of strong leadership with pertinent experience and business connections will likely facilitate a smooth product incorporation.
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