Chinese urban air mobility (UAM) company EHang has opened an experience centre in Shenzhen’s Luohu Sports & Leisure Park.

This EH216-S take-off and landing site features a fully automated vertical lift vertiport. It also serves as smart infrastructure in Shenzhen dedicated to the commercial operations of the EH216-S pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicle.

The Luohu UAM centre has an automated three-dimensional vertical lift vertiport. This facility reduces labour costs and optimises space usage through automated operations.

The centre covers approximately 753m². The first floor is dedicated to a hangar and boarding area, providing passengers with a seamless and comfortable experience. The integrated take-off and landing pad with the hangar enables rapid charging, thereby streamlining flight operations.

During the launch ceremony in January, an EH216-S aircraft was lifted from the first to the second floor by the vertical lift platform. It then took to the skies, completing a lap over the park before landing smoothly.

The Luohu district’s construction plan aims to build 100 take-off and landing sites by 2026, including 32 take-off and landing facilities for passenger-carrying aircraft. As the district’s first smart UAM operation centre, it will provide a foundation for the commercial operations of the district’s low-altitude economy, serving as a demonstration model and a landmark for cultural and tourism initiatives.

The low-altitude economy is emerging and a focus for future development prioritised by the district. The district has already established 15 vertiports for passenger-carrying aircraft, aiming to build a robust industry ecosystem for the low-altitude economy.

The centre is near attractions such as Shenzhen’s First Peak Wutong Mountain and Donghu Reservoir, offering natural mountain and lake scenery. This makes it a good location for developing low-altitude sightseeing tourism.

Through the centre, EHang will deepen its cooperation with the Luohu District Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Tourism & Sports, which began last January. Together with its partners, EHang aims to provide diverse services, including aerial transportation, cultural and tourism sightseeing, and technology experiences, to advance business models for the low-altitude economy in Luohu district and Shenzhen.

“In collaboration with our partners, EHang has established operational infrastructure for EH216-S aircraft in cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hefei, Wuxi, Taiyuan and Wenzhou Wencheng,” said Zhao Wang, chief operating officer of EHang (www.ehang.com). “The Luohu UAM centre, featuring an automated vertical lift platform design, represents an innovative approach to infrastructure development for the low-altitude economy. It will serve as a cornerstone of EHang’s operations in Shenzhen’s low-altitude economy. Leveraging our first-mover advantage in the eVTOL sector, we will continue working with our partners in Shenzhen to develop and refine the integrated growth of the low-altitude economy and ground economy. Our efforts aim to promote high-quality advancement of the low-altitude economy in Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area, providing a valuable reference for safe and efficient eVTOL operations nationwide and globally.”

For a video of the centre with the first automated smart eVTOL vertiport for EH216-S, go to youtu.be/Q2ZWRywRdBY.