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| • | | First Order for VT-30 and AirX’s Pre-Order for 50 Units of EH216 Series in Japan |
In December 2021, EHang secured the first order for its VT-30, a long-range electric two-seat passenger-grade AAV in Japan. EHang will work with local partners, such as the Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (“MASC”), to further explore use cases of the EH216 and the VT-30 for cross-island travel, emergency rescue and aerial logistics, and develop the UAM network in Japan.
After successive EH216 demonstration flights in Fukushima and Okayama in December 2021, EHang received the biggest pre-order in Japan for 50 units of the EH216 series in January 2022 from AirX Inc. (“AirX”), a leading Japanese air mobility digital platform company with more than 100 helicopter sightseeing operating routes and private helicopter charter services. The pre-order of the EH216 series AAVs is planned to facilitate various UAM projects in Japan and has a prospect of providing “air taxi” services for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
| • | | AEROTREE’s Pre-Order for 50 Units of EH216 Series and 10 Units of VT-30 in Malaysia |
In March 2022, EHang entered into a strategic partnership with Aerotree Flight Services Sdn. Bhd. (“AEROTREE”), a subsidiary of leading Malaysian aviation company AEROTREE Group, for developing UAM businesses, including Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (“MRO”) and training in Malaysia. AEROTREE placed a pre-order for 50 units of the EH216 series, which include the EH216-S, EH216-L and EH216-F, as well as 10 units of the VT-30 AAVs. AEROTREE has also purchased one unit of the EH216-S AAV from EHang previously.
| • | | Appointment of Mr. Xin Fang as Chief Operating Officer |
In February 2022, EHang appointed Mr. Xin Fang as the Chief Operating Officer. With more than 20 years of business administration and operational experience in the sales of IT products and system integration solutions, tourism operation and management, Mr. Fang is in charge of the Company’s daily operations, with a focus on sales of EHang AAV products and solutions and the commercialization of UAM services.
CEO Remarks
Mr. Huazhi Hu, EHang’s Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “2021 was a year full of challenges. Although faced with uncertainties and short-term impacts caused by many external factors such as the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, capital market fluctuations, and volatilities in the global landscape, EHang, as a technological innovation enterprise, has the core competencies and the long-term potential to achieve our mission for providing safe, autonomous, intelligent and sustainable air transportation for humans and the society. Our commitment to bringing value to the UAM industry, our partners, community, and shareholders remains strong and increasingly solid.”
“In 2021, we were in a strategic transition period towards the Company’s strategic goal of becoming an urban air mobility platform operator. On one hand, our annual gross margin reached 63.4%; on the other hand, we are pleased to expand strategic partnerships and receive orders and pre-orders from well-known domestic and foreign customers and partners, especially in the Asian markets, including China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia. As of March 29, 2022, we have unfulfilled pre-orders5 for over 1,000 units of our passenger-grade AAV products, including the EH216 series and the VT-30, on a cumulative basis. The growing market demand has formed a solid foundation that strengthens our confidence for future revenue growth.”
5 | Pre-orders do not obligate the customers to purchase EHang’s AAVs unless certain conditions are satisfied. Fulfilment is expected to take several years and is conditional upon, among other things, achievement of performance milestones and receipt of regulatory approvals. |
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