Ehang and CP form JV to develop urban air mobility in Thailand

ehang
EH216 AAV exhibition and demo flight at IIMS 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Image credit: EHang

Aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company EHang has announced a strategic partnership with Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) to develop a joint venture in Thailand for AAV sales and urban air mobility (UAM) operations.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties will work together on AAV product sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, business development, infrastructure deployment, and talent cultivation for future UAM operations.

Use cases being considered for the AAVs include aerial sightseeing, cargo transportation, last-mile delivery, city air taxi, and smart city management.

Thanakorn Seriburi, senior vice chairman of CP Group, said that the partnership is a step forward in the company’s commitment to sustainability and zero-carbon air mobility.

“Through leveraging EHang’s unique AAV technologies and efficient and eco-friendly UAM solutions for different industries, I believe our partnership will further create synergies among CP Group’s industrial, aviation, smart city, food, retail, pharmaceutical and other business lines,” he added.

The JV will focus on deploying EHang’s AAV technology in Thailand with a view to expanding across Southeast Asia in the future.

EHang founder, chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu said that Thailand is one of the largest Southeast Asian markets with great potential for UAM operations.

In Southeast Asia, popular low-cost carrier AirAsia has also been working on its own flying taxi service, which is set to launch in 2025. In a February announcement, AirAsia said that it has signed a memorandum to lease 100 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Avolon, the world’s second largest aircraft leasing company.

UAM is a new form of transportation that utilizes electric-powered AAVs to provide on-demand, point-to-point air travel within urban areas. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines UAM as “a safe and efficient aviation transportation system that will use highly automated aircraft that will operate and transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas.”

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