China’s EHang Holdings, a global leader in the development of flying cars, eyes Southeast Asia’s tourism sector as a significant opportunity for air mobility systems, says the company’s senior executive.
Southeast Asian countries, according to EHang Holdings CFO, Mr. Richard Liu, would be major markets, as the business aims to employ eVTOL sightseeing tours in popular tourism areas.
“There is a very concrete, sizable market need [for aerial sightseeing]. In addition to China and Japan, we are looking at countries where tourism is an important industry, such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia,” he said
EHang has also established local partners in these markets for test flights and dealing with local regulatory issues.
Ehang has been testing its flying cars for regulatory approval and says it has over 1,200 preorders as of September 2022, indicating the possibility of clients in the medical and tourism industries.
Mr. Liu also said that the company has been working with Chinese aviation authorities and anticipates receiving “type certification” for the flagship EH216-S soon. “It is in the final stage,” he said. “After obtaining type certification, we can sell and use the EH216-S commercially in China.”
He added that obtaining certification in China might pave the way for clearance in other markets, including Southeast Asia.
By 2040, Morgan Stanley predicts that the global market for flying automobiles would reach over USD 1.5 trillion. Volocopter of Germany and Joby Aviation of the US are major innovators in this emerging industry.
