China’s Vertical Take-off And Landing ‘Flying Car’ Completes Maiden Flight

Fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flying car by Xpeng Aeroht completes its maiden flight.

Features a sleek rotor fold-away system that allows seamless conversation between driving and flying.

In driving mode, Xpeng Aeroht flying car’s propellers fold-away to allow it function as a conventional car.

In flight mode, its steering wheel and right-hand gear lever are used to pilot the flying car, including to make turns.

A fully electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) flying car by
Xpeng Aeroht has successfully completed its maiden flight during the fourth annual XPENG 1024 Tech Day, held at its Firm headquarters in Guangzhou, China.

During its maiden flight last month, the prototype, which weighs about 4,270 lb, reached an altitude of 33 feet and exhibited stable maneuverability, the company said.

The company, the aviation arm of Chinese electric carmaker Xpeng Inc, notes that the test vehicle can currently fly more than a few dozen miles on one charge of its battery.

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The flying car, designed for both air flight and road driving, features a sleek rotor fold-away system that allows seamless conversation between driving and flying.

In driving mode, the flying car’s propel fold-away to allow it function as a conventional car. In flight mode, the steering wheel and the right-hand gear lever are used to pilot the flying car, including to make turns, ascend, hover and descend.

To ensure safety, the test vehicle is equipped with a new flight control system equipped with fault-tolerant control functions and a dual-engine backup system.

We can’t say if Xpeng intends to bring this very vehicle into production, but the company notes that the flying car is subject to laws and regulations for the low-altitude airspace, adding that “it can take off and land vertically, and fly over traffic congestion, obstacles and rivers to meet a new host of short-distance mobility needs.”

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