EHang and the city government of Seville, Spain have entered into a cooperation agreement to launch the first Urban Air Mobility (UAM) pilot program in Spain.

Under the agreement, EHang and the Seville government will work together to develop the urban air mobility, which includes passenger transportation, air logistics and command and control platforms in the city. In accordance with Spanish and European legislation, the city will also collaborate on applications for permission to conduct test flights, and it will coordinate with EHang to plan flight routes.

“Establishing the partnership with EHang, one of the world's leading UAM enterprises, is a great opportunity for Seville. Our city has a rich legacy in European aviation, which we believe can promote EHang’s AAV tests, operations, and permitting applications both in Spain and Europe,” says Seville Mayor Juan Espadas Cejas.

“We look forward to EHang’s first flight in Seville and hope our cooperation will facilitate the commercialization of its UAM ecosystem in Europe.”

The entities note that according to the European Commission’s urban mobility report, more than 60 percent of European citizens live in urban areas of over 10,000 inhabitants, which inevitably leads to traffic congestion and air pollution. Congestion in the European Union costs nearly EUR 100 billion every year, accounting for one percent of the EU's annual GDP.

To promote the transformation of urban three-dimensional transportation, the EU's EIP-SCC (European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities) project launched the UAM Initiative Cities Community in 2017. Seville is a member of the UAM Initiative Cities Community.

“Seville has developed a rich culture over its 2,000 years of history, so we are delighted to collaborate with the Seville government to bring new UAM technology to this ancient city,” says Mr. Hu Huazhi, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of EHang.

“There are many old, narrow paths in the old town of Seville, which are inaccessible to automobiles. We believe our AAV can be a great solution for the city to relieve traffic congestion and better preserve historic sectors.”