EHang 216 and Falcon AAVs Perform Airport Transport and Parcel Delivery Trial Flights for EU GOF 2.0 Project in Estonia

Rhea-AI Summary

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) has successfully completed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) trial flights for its EHang 216 passenger-grade AAV and Falcon logistics model in Estonia. The flights were part of the European Union's GOF 2.0 project, showcasing urban air mobility and integrated operations of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Estonian Transport Administration has issued a special permit for these flights until the end of 2021. EHang aims to further develop unmanned aerial systems, enhancing safety and eco-friendliness in air transport.

Positive

• Completion of BVLOS trials in Estonia enhances credibility and showcases technological advancements.
• The EHang 216 is the first passenger-grade AAV to conduct BVLOS flights in Estonian airspace.
• EHang aims to expand trials across Europe, indicating potential growth opportunities.

Negative

• None.

GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”), the world's leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, today announced its flagship passenger-grade AAV EHang 216 and Falcon logistics model have completed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (“BVLOS”) trial flights for airport transport and parcel delivery in Estonia under the European Union’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation (“GOF 2.0”) project to demonstrate safe, autonomous and eco-friendly urban air mobility (“UAM”) and the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles and air taxis into manned operations with air traffic management (“ATM”) and U-space services.

The Estonian Transport Administration issued a Special Permit to EHang for trial flights in designated Estonian airspace until the end of 2021.

The EHang 216 is the first passenger-grade AAV to have conducted BVLOS trial flights in Estonian airspace. During the live trials, the EHang 216 performed a flight mission of passenger VIP transport scenario from the Tartu Airport to the Estonian Aviation Museum, no passenger onboard, to demonstrate the uses cases and scenarios of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) intra-urban and peri-urban flights.

Moreover, the EHang Falcon logistics model completed a flight mission of parcel delivery from the Tartu Airport to a cargo terminal at the Estonian Aviation Museum, to demonstrate the uses cases and scenarios of automated parcel delivery drones operating at low level.

These trial flights are among the first wave of trials in the two-year GOF 2.0 project, with the focus of entry to and exit from defined airspaces. The trials demonstrate how manned and unmanned aviation can enter and leave various types of airspace, such as controlled/uncontrolled airspace and U-space airspace.

To date, EHang has conducted multiple trial and demo flights of its passenger-grade AAVs in 10 countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. EHang will continue further involvements in GOF 2.0 and plan to conduct more trial flights in Europe to demonstrate the validity, safety, security and sustainability of unmanned aerial systems and manned operations in a unified, dense urban airspace using existing ATM and U-space services and systems. It is an important enabler for the further development of the unmanned aerial vehicle market and will deliver the technical components (services, software, competencies, practices) required to cost-efficiently operate autonomous and semi-autonomous aerial vehicles BVLOS in urban low-level shared airspace.

Watch the video of the trial flights in Estonia: https://youtu.be/BdXtU25Crgw

About EHang
EHang (Nasdaq: EH) is the world's leading autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company. Our 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: air mobility (including passenger transportation and logistics), smart city management, and aerial media solutions. As the forerunner of cutting-edge AAV technologies and commercial solutions in the global Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry, EHang continues to explore the boundaries of the sky to make flying technologies benefit our life in smart cities. For more information, please visit www.ehang.com.

About GOF 2.0
The GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace VLD (GOF 2.0) very large demonstration project will safely, securely, and sustainably demonstrate operational validity of serving combined UAS, eVTOL and manned operations in a unified, dense urban airspace using current ATM and U-space services and systems. Both ATM and U-space communities depend extensively on the provision of timely, relevant, accurate and quality-assured digital information to collaborate and make informed decisions. The demonstrations focus on validation of the GOF 2.0 architecture for highly automated real-time separation assurance in dense air space including precision weather and telecom networks for air-ground communication and will significantly contribute to understanding how the safe integration of UAM and other commercial drone operations into ATM Airspace without degrading safety, security or disrupting current airspace operations can be implemented. The GOF 2.0 project is one of several projects managed by the SESAR Joint Undertaking that are dedicated to U-space, the European Commission’s initiative for the safe and secure integration of drones into the airspace. This project has received funding from the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101017689. For more information, please visit https://gof2.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GOF2_Trials.pdf.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While they believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management's control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause EHang's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact: pr@ehang.com

Investor Contact: ir@ehang.com   
In the U.S.: Julia@blueshirtgroup.com
In China: Susie@blueshirtgroup.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44d3f620-0058-4b84-9feb-6a13417b94c3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0c9796f-feeb-4be7-a3b6-2a1ac4e1fb5c

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ff82baa-9848-40f3-8a47-200ee2a0fe3b

FAQ

What recent trials has EHang conducted in Estonia?

EHang has completed BVLOS trial flights using the EHang 216 and Falcon models for airport transport and parcel delivery.

What is the significance of EHang's BVLOS trials?

These trials demonstrate the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles in urban air mobility and the collaboration with air traffic management.

Which project are EHang's Estonia trials a part of?

The trials are part of the European Union’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation project.

What is the timeline for EHang's trial flights in Estonia?

The trial flights are permitted until the end of 2021.

What is the EHang 216?

The EHang 216 is EHang's flagship passenger-grade autonomous aerial vehicle.