EHang unveils the EH216-EK firefighting eVTOL and states design weights

EHang said on November 4, 2026 that it unveiled the EH216-EK, a pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for firefighting, with what it calls high-payload airdrop deployment. The release is datelined Guangzhou. EHang says the aircraft is designed for aerial firefighting in early-stage forest and grassland fires, and for fire emergencies at large industrial parks and at warehousing and logistics facilities. It says the EH216-EK has a multi-channel fire-extinguishing payload release system.

EHang says local government officials and EHang executives attended the debut at the "Smart Manufacturing in Wencheng, EHang Takes Flight into the Future" event at the EHang Wencheng Smart Manufacturing Center. It names Zhao Wang, chief operating officer; Xiaona Lee, China general manager; and Daoyi Lee, general manager of the fire and emergency business unit. EHang says the EH216-EK also completed an on-site firefighting demonstration flight. The release describes that flight as showcasing rapid response, stable flight and precision fire suppression. Those words are EHang's description. The release does not state a duration, an altitude, a wind speed or a measured drop.

The weights are design figures

EHang says the EH216-EK has a maximum design takeoff weight of 620 kilograms and a maximum design mission payload of 160 kilograms. "Design" is EHang's word for both figures. This page reports them as design figures. It does not report them as weighed results from the demonstration.

EHang says the aircraft is equipped with a 12-channel independently electronically controlled release system. It says the aircraft comes standard with twelve 10-kilogram fire-extinguishing canisters, or optionally eight 20-kilogram canisters. It says the canisters are compatible with water-based agents and ultra-fine dry powder. It says each canister is designed to cover an area of approximately 6 to 8 meters in diameter. "Designed to cover" is EHang's phrase. The release does not say that coverage was measured on the demonstration flight.

EHang says the EH216-EK uses the EH216 series' safety design, including pilotless operation, vertical takeoff and landing, backup systems, redundancy and cluster management. It says redundant multirotor propulsion and flight-control algorithms are designed to support hovering and payload release in wind and in thermal updrafts. That is a design statement. It is not a test result printed with numbers.

EHang says the Wencheng center is being developed as a low-altitude industry base for production and assembly, testing and delivery, and maintenance. "Being developed" is the release's tense. EHang says the first batch of EH216-EK aircraft has completed assembly at the center, supporting product validation, application development and future business initiatives. Completed assembly of a batch is EHang's statement. The release does not call it a production certificate, and it does not state a delivery to a fire department.

No certificate is stated for this aircraft

The release does not state a type certificate, a production certificate or an airworthiness certificate for the EH216-EK. The company description at the bottom repeats certificates EHang says the passenger EH216-S has received from the CAAC. Those sentences name the EH216-S. They do not say the EH216-EK holds them. China's certificates for the EH216-S are a separate record on the EH216-S tracker row. This page does not move them onto the firefighting aircraft.

EHang says it will continue product validation and application development, and that it will work with emergency management agencies, forestry authorities and industrial park operators on joint exercises. Those are plans. The release does not name an operator, a price, a firm order or a date for those exercises.

The photographs

The photograph on this page is the outdoor flight photograph EHang published with the release. The release's second photo label reads "EH216-EK conducts a firefighting demonstration in Wencheng." The release also publishes a debut photograph, with the aircraft indoors and people beside it, labeled as the EH216-EK making its debut. That debut photograph is on the vehicle row. A third image in the release is labeled "Artist's rendering of the EH216-EK." That rendering is not used here.

What is not established

No type certificate, production certificate or airworthiness certificate is stated for the EH216-EK. The 620-kilogram takeoff weight and the 160-kilogram payload are design figures. The 6-to-8-meter coverage figure is a design statement. The demonstration flight is described, without a duration or a measured result. Assembly of a first batch is not a production certificate. The Wencheng center is described as being developed. Joint exercises with agencies are plans. No price and no firm order are stated.

Sources

• EHang: EH216-EK high-payload firefighting eVTOL (Nov 4 2026)