Xpeng’s vehicle “Land Aircraft Carrier” has a flying passenger drone hidden in the truck. The drone can be detached.
XPENG AEROHT
Xpeng AeroHT, an affiliate of Xpengaims to deliver its flying car to customers in 2026, the Chinese electric vehicle maker’s co-president told CNBC on Friday.
Last year, Xpeng AeroHT introduced the Land Aircraft Carrier — a large truck with a flying two-seater electric passenger drone inside. The flying car can be separated from the truck and then people can get on the drone and drive it.
Brian Gu, co-president of Xpeng, said the vehicle will be available for pre-order this year, adding that the company hopes to deliver the device in 2026.
“The reason we’re confident is because we’re designing this for use not in city centers, but for the outskirts in scenic areas where … we’ll work with municipalities to create flying parks and flying zones that allow people to enjoy flying without the hassle getting all the complicated approvals,” Gu noted.
Xpeng said this year that the flying car is currently undergoing a certification process with China’s aviation regulator.
The 2026 schedule is slightly later than the Q4 2025 delivery target that Xpeng previously touted.
Gu said passengers will not require a special license to operate the drone for initial use.
“Because we’re using a leisure and sports use case for the initial use of this flying device. As you get closer to urban … centers, you need special licenses and it will be much more complicated to get approval,” Gu said.
Xpeng is looking to expand into other areas of electric mobility, with company CEO He Xiaopeng previously telling CNBC that robotics and flying cars are part of the company’s long-term goals.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/17/xpeng-aims-for-flying-car-pre-orders-this-year-with-delivery-in-2026.html