GUANGZHOU, China, Feb. 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”), the world's leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, announced that its EH216 passenger-grade AAV has completed its first passenger-carrying autonomous flight demonstration within Japan, which also marks the first passenger-carrying flight for an autonomous eVTOL aircraft in Japan. Today, the EH216 flew with two passengers and no pilot onboard for a trip along the stunningly beautiful coastline of Tanoura Beach in Oita city, under the approval of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (“MLIT”) of Japan.

EH216 conducting passenger-carrying autonomous flight demonstration in Oita Prefecture, Japan

Sato Kiichiro, Mayor of Oita, Oita Prefecture, Japan, attended the event and delivered a speech saying, "Last July, EH216 completed its Japan’s first point-to-point trial flight in Oita, receiving overwhelming responses. Today, EH216 takes on the challenge of passenger-carrying flight here, and I am very pleased to witness this moment. I hope that today’s passenger-carrying flight test will accelerate autonomous aerial vehicles to take a further step toward practical use cases, so that this industry full of opportunities could be in full swing."

Sato Kiichiro, Mayor of Oita, Oita Prefecture, Japan

Kirino Hiroshi, Chairman of the Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (“MASC”), one of the passengers who took a ride with EH216 today, said, "EH216 is a leader in the eVTOL field with extensive experience in passenger-carrying flights. This successful flight test of EH216 in Oita Prefecture has shown us the possibilities of experiencing the beauty and pleasure the skies offer without a pilot. We look forward to EH216's flight tests in more cities, and the future when EH216 can be deployed and applied in Japan."

Kirino Hiroshi, Chairman of MASC Xin Fang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang

Xin Fang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, stated, “Over the past two years, EH216 has achieved one milestone after another in Japan with several rounds of demo and trial flights. This year brought passengers the possibility of riding in the air with this cutting-edge product and technology. All these milestones are inextricably linked to the support and trust of MLIT of Japan, local government departments, and our partners. EHang has also demonstrated the reliability of our AAV products. We will continue working with our partners to promote safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly UAM solutions in Japan so as to benefit more people worldwide with our passenger-grade AAVs.”

Earlier in July 2022, EH216 completed Japan's first eVTOL point-to-point demo flight for air mobility in Oita City, Oita Prefecture, making a breakthrough in exploring UAM use cases in Japan. This year, EHang and its partner, MASC, revisited Oita to demonstrate the EH216’s first passenger-carrying autonomous flight within Japan, which is expected to further enhance the awareness and interest of UAM in the local community and accelerate the development of the Japanese UAM industry.

Watch the video of EH216’s first passenger-carrying autonomous flight demonstration within Japan:
https://youtu.be/UuOD8uckUSU

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.

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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about management’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to those relating to EH216-S Type Certification, our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our AAV products and solutions and the commercialization of UAM services, our relationships with strategic partners, and current litigation and potential litigation involving us. 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.

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