eHang’s VT35 is a Pilotless Passenger Aircraft Offering a New Wing for City-to-City Hops

Guangzhou-based eHang has been making headlines with its pilotless drones that transport people for years, but the VT35 moves the business into new terrain. This $913,600 two-seater eVTOL was presented in Hefei, and it promises to transport you from one crowded metropolis to another without requiring a pilot. After its first full transition flight—vertical lift giving way to smooth forward cruise—the machine hovered over Luogang Park, prompting local lawmakers and industry representatives to cheer.

The vertical climb and descent are handled by eight props, which are distributed over the wings for uniform lift, and a single pusher prop in the back for efficient forward propulsion. Tandem wings—one ahead and one aft—keep the aircraft stable at all times, from takeoff in a city park to cruising over hills or water. It measures 27 feet long, 26.7 feet broad, and 9.8 feet tall, while the maximum takeoff weight is 2,090 pounds. With that footprint, it can land on roofs, parking lots, or existing vertiports without the need for additional infrastructure. Passengers enter through broad doors at ground level and sit in leather-upholstered chairs in front of a big touchscreen that functions as a dashboard, office workstation, and movie screen.

The VT35 cruises at 134 mph and can travel 125 miles on a single charge, enough for an hour in the air with a full 440-pound load. Batteries are concealed within the frame and power electric motors that hum gently, making them ideal for urban situations. Autonomy runs the show: sensors detect obstructions, software plots the route, and backups provide redundancy so that a single glitch does not ground the trip. eHang is adopting its EH216-S strategy here—the smaller sibling is already certified and flying paying passengers in China—to expedite the VT35’s certification. The Civil Aviation Administration accepted its type certificate application in March, and test flights have been proceeding successfully. Soon, this will mean direct flights from Hefei to adjacent hubs, reducing a two-hour commute to 30 minutes.


Inside, you can modify the temperature and seating by pulling out the armrests, and there’s a screen that displays maps, emails, streams, and whatever else you need to keep your brain from turning to mush on a lengthy flight. There are no pedals or yokes to wrestle with; instead, you simply issue voice commands or tap on the screen to make the necessary changes. eHang has done an excellent job of smoothing out the ride, even canceling out the bumps caused by the rotors, so you feel as if you’ve just enjoyed a nice night’s sleep rather than being flung around like a rag doll.


Beyond the innovative technology, the VT35 provides a glimpse of eHang’s future direction. They are developing a tilt-rotor variant that will provide them with a great deal of route flexibility. When combined with the EH216-S for shorter trips, you get a network that can effortlessly transition from city center to city center – and the most exciting part is that it makes the entire experience feel almost like car sharing.
[Source]