Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Tourism Investment Construction (Xishan Tourism) has placed a purchase order for 50 EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft, paying the total contract price of $15.6m (RMB113 million). It has also signed a purchase plan agreement for an additional 450 units of the EH216-S over the next two years. These aircraft will be deployed for aerial tourism, passenger transportation and other low-altitude use cases to facilitate adoption and operations of pilotless eVTOL in north China.

The two companies are to jointly develop a low-altitude economy industrial park in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province in China, to establish a command-and-control centre, marketing and exhibition centre, operations centre, after-sales service centre and research institute for EHang.

Yaozong Chang, chairman of Xishan Tourism, says: "Xishan Tourism is a contemporary company integrating operational infrastructure, industrial investment, operational properties and park development. Since our establishment in 2019, we have adhered to the development philosophy of 'diversified operations with a focus on both investment and financing', and have been actively leveraging the strategic potential of the low-altitude economy. In close collaboration with EHang, we are poised to drive the creation of a new low-altitude economy ecosystem and to further enrich the 'low-altitude + cultural tourism' use cases under the guidance of the Xishan Demonstration Zone. Moving forward, we will expedite the development of a comprehensive low-altitude economy ecosystem, encompassing research and development, manufacturing, operations and services, with the aim of establishing a flagship low-altitude economy industrial park with national influence."

EHang founder, chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu says: "As the Chinese government continues to support the growth of low-altitude economy and eVTOL industry, we're capitalising on this momentum to further expand our presence in the Chinese market and prepare for commercial UAM operations. We're delighted to secure this major order from Taiyuan and look forward to collaborating with our partners to establish a benchmark for low-altitude economy in the city, and gradually introduce more low-altitude use cases in Shanxi and extend it across north China. Our goal is to bring pilotless eVTOLs to more cities and drive the sustainable growth of China's low-altitude ecosystem."

Initially, EHang and Xishan Tourism plan to build EH216-S low-altitude sightseeing demonstration centres in the scenic areas of Xishan Mountain and Fenhe River in Taiyuan, with further plans to gradually expand pilotless eVTOLs application to Shanxi Province and north China.

Shanxi Province has been designated as a national demonstration province for the development of the general aviation industry, and Taiyuan City is one of the proposed national civil unmanned aviation demonstration zones. In April this year, a delegation from Shanxi provincial government visited EHang headquarters.