Exhibit 99.2
How EHang Plans to Shape the Future of Urban Air Mobility
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”), the world’s leading urban air mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, today invited its founder, chairman and CEO, Mr. Huazhi Hu, to share his thoughts on EHang’s strengths and strategies in pioneering autonomous Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft technologies and commercial solutions in the global UAM industry.
Question 1: How does EHang differentiate itself from its global peers?
Mr. Huazhi Hu (“Mr. Hu”): I founded EHang to make safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. Unlike some global eVTOL peers, EHang adopted a different product strategy and did not set out to make piloted aerial vehicles, such as a lighter version of helicopter with human pilots. At EHang, we have taken a unique approach on aircraft design with our EH216-S, which is intentionally smaller in size, optimized for short-to-medium-range flights, and well-suited for urban environments. What’s more, our aircraft offer flexible deployment options due to smaller size, eliminating the necessity for extensive ground infrastructure. The EH216-S is specifically designed to address the requirements of low-altitude short-to-medium-range air transportation needs for the public within urban locations or scenic areas.
Our commitment to simplicity in design is a cornerstone of our safety approach. We believe that a robust multi-rotor design enhances operational safety. Besides, our EH216-S’s safety has been rigorously tested and validated by Type Certificate (“TC”), ensuring that it meets regulatory standards and requirements. Conversely, tilt-rotor designs for larger piloted 5-seated aircraft, developed by most of our peers, introduce additional complexities and potential certification risks, along with challenges related to substantial ground infrastructure, and seat occupancy.
At EHang, we have chosen to embrace autonomous flying, where our EH216-S operates alongside pre-determined flight routes enabled by our command-and-control system platform to ensure safety and efficiency, especially when operating at a large scale. This approach significantly reduces the risks of accidents caused by human errors. We firmly believe that autonomous eVTOLs are the key to bringing air mobility to the public. In fact, our first passenger-carrying model unveiled in January 2016, the EHang 184, was already fully autonomous.
In conclusion, our smaller, adaptable aircraft design, emphasis on safety and design simplicity, commitment to autonomous flying and cluster management, position us as an industry leader, catering to the needs of urban areas and ushering in a new era of UAM.
Question 2: What is EHang’s approach towards R&D?
Mr. Hu: EHang’s R&D efforts are strategic and in line with the Company’s overall business development strategy and have not resulted in excessive expenditures. We highly value the confidence our investors have in us and are committed to not wasting investors’ money on money-pit R&D projects with unpromising commercial prospects. Our commitment to making every penny well spent pushes us to identify and prioritize our eVTOL products and technologies that are critical to our commercial success, while taking full advantages of China’s expansive, cost-efficient supply chain network.