XPeng is positioning its flying-car program as a practical transport effort rather than a short-lived spectacle, in contrast to Tesla’s demonstration of a Roadster using compressed-gas propulsion. Wang Tan, co-founder of Aridge, an XPeng subsidiary, said the Tesla concept’s gas tanks take up cabin space and that its flight time would be limited to a few seconds as pressure falls. He questioned whether it could function as a genuine air-transport vehicle.
XPeng’s Land Aircraft Carrier uses a multicopter configuration and a high-energy-density battery system. The article says it can remain airborne for up to 20 minutes, with potential uses including sightseeing, emergency rescue and maintenance work at wind farms or offshore oil platforms. The piece also refers to XPeng’s X2 aircraft, including a test flight in the United Arab Emirates.
The aircraft is priced at about 2 million yuan (roughly US$300,000) and has received more than 7,000 orders worldwide, according to the report. A batch has been delivered to the UAE. However, Chinese civil aviation safety certification is taking longer than initially expected. Without approval in China, overseas customers cannot legally operate the aircraft, making domestic certification important to XPeng’s international ambitions.
XPeng is not alone in China’s flying-car race: Shanghai Volant Aerotech and Geely-backed Aerofugia are also developing aircraft, including tilt-rotor designs. XPeng chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said the contest will depend on safety, flight duration and certification, not brief demonstrations. The article adds that future battery and lightweight-material improvements could extend the range of electric aircraft.