CHINESE tech company EHang Holdings Ltd. has begun to sell its self-developed unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft EH216-S on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao at a cost of 2.39 million yuan ($332,032) per unit, the Global Times observed on Monday.

He Tianxing, a deputy president of EHang, told the Global Times that it was not only for online sale, but also aimed to inform the public of the development potential of a low-altitude economy in the future.

COMMERCIALIZING Visitors look at an aerial vehicle of EHang during the 25th China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Nov. 15, 2023. EHang has taken to the e-commerce platform Taobao to sell its aircraft. XINHUA PHOTO

The EH216-S last December obtained the standard Airworthiness Certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which marked the eVTOL aircraft becoming eligible for commercial operation.

EH216-S passenger-carrying UAV system obtains standard Airworthiness Certificate from CAAC and the certified aircraft delivered to customer in Guangzhou.

Aside from its main selling points including its small size, easy takeoff, landing and recharge ability, as well as quietness, EHang made multiple backups for core parts such as propellers, electric engine, flying control system and batteries.

The Government Work Report released during the recently concluded two sessions earlier this month stated that China will foster new growth engines in fields such as biomanufacturing, commercial spaceflight and the low-altitude economy.

Analysts pointed out that low-altitude transport can help reduce waste once ground transport has reached its limit in megacities.

Following the announced policy, many cities have taken measures to develop the sector. As the country's first trial province for low-altitude airspace management, Southwest China's Sichuan province simplified low-altitude flight test applications. East China's Anhui also crafted rules to develop low-altitude economy, starting to accelerate the development of the industry in Hefei and Wuhu, two major cities there.

In addition, Shenzhen city in South China's Guangdong province has published a set of documents and government regulations supporting the development of the low-altitude economy in the province, according to Xinhua News Agency.

As of 2025, the output value of low-altitude economy in China is estimated to reach 3 to 5 trillion yuan, according to a recent survey by the International Digital Economy Academy. global times