Watch the full video here: XPeng Flying car
Picture: XPeng
The future is here. Chinese company XPeng provided us with a glimpse of its X2 electric flying car after conducting the first public test in Dubai. The X2 eVTOL vehicle is the work of XPeng Aeroht, the aviation affiliate of the Guangzhou-based firm, and one of the largest flying companies in Asia.
The flight took place at SkyDive Dubai which is located adjacent to the Emirates famous Palm Jumeirah Island. The company received a special permit for the flight from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. The location was perfect, as the city landscape provided an amazing backdrop for the test.
On this occasion, the vehicle was unoccupied, but it will be able to carry two passengers weighing up to 224 pounds each. It features eight propellers, two on each corner, and has a carbon fiber frame.
According to XPeng, a production version would be used for low-altitude flights across cities. Typical cruising height would be 300 feet, although it can reach 3,200 feet, and the maximum flying time is just under 35 minutes.
The X2 is considered particularly suitable for sightseeing and transporting medical supplies, with a top speed claimed to be 80 mph.
NIt is a zero-carbon emission vehicle, and there are two driving modes: manual and autonomous. If autonomous is chosen, passengers can simply operate the start, return and landing functions at the touch of a button. And because it has this ability, a driving license could, in theory, be all that is required to operate it.
“[The] X2’s public display in Dubai represents a significant milestone for XPeng Aeroht and the international achievement of flying cars,” said Brian Gu, Vice President and Chairman of XPeng in a keynote speech, made at the GITEX Global tech show.
“Dubai is a world-renowned ‘City of Innovation,’ which is the reason we decided to hold the X2’s first public flight event here. Today’s flight is a major step in XPeng’s exploration of future mobility.”
XPeng expects the X2 is likely to be ready to be launched on the market by 2025 but accepts that there will be major challenges before we see this in the air anytime soon.
