EHang has carried out a demonstration flight in Costa Rica using its autonomous EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle.
The pilotless aircraft conducted the demonstration at a beach resort in the Latin American country, says EHang.
EHang views sightseeing and tourism as early applications for the EH216-S, which operates on pre-set courses developed by drones.
“EHang is pleased to see EH216-S pilotless eVTOL flying for the first time in Latin America, demonstrating safe, efficient and sustainable advanced air mobility for everybody, in Costa Rica,” says Victoria Xiang, chief operating officer of EHang Europe and Latin America.
“We are convinced of the enormous benefits that EHang’s [urban air mobility] technology can bring to Latin America, and we are determined to continue collaborating closely with local stakeholders in the region, to make this new means of air mobility accessible to everybody in the continent.”
The Latin American sortie comes months after the first delivery of the EH216-S to a Chinese customer in December 2023, a milestone which followed the award of an airworthiness certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
In February, the company revealed a priced tag of CNY2.4 million ($338,000) for the aircraft.
The EH216 features eight underslung booms with a contra-rotating electric propeller at each tip, using a total of 16 electric motors. The aircraft’s maximum payload is 220kg (485lb), with an endurance of 25min and a range of 16.2nm (30km). The EH216 can be fully charged in 2h.
Updated with video of Costa Rican flight
