XPENG

Debut flight of the Chinese brand's flying taxi took place today

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng is developing an eVTOL that will serve as a flying taxi and has just publicly demonstrated it for the first time.

The short flight marks a major step forward for the ambitious and well-funded company, with even bolder flying cars planned for the future.

The X2's maiden flight in Dubai came to light earlier this month following local news that XPeng's AeroHT subsidiary needed special clearance from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

As a result, the demo flight took place at Skydive Dubai in front of 150 spectators.

The public demonstration of the XPeng X2 in Dubai represents an important milestone for XPeng AeroHT and international achievement in flying cars,” said Brian Gu, Vice President and President of XPeng.

Dubai is a world famous Innovation City, which is why we decided to host the first public X2 event here. Today's flight is an important step in XPeng's exploration of tomorrow's mobility.

An electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is a variation of VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) technology that uses electrical energy to fly, take off and land vertically. This technology is due to significant advances in electric propulsion (motors, batteries, fuel cells, electronic controllers) and the growing need for new vehicles for urban air mobility (air taxis).

The X2 is a fully electric two-seater flying car with a carbon fiber body and eight rotors. It is designed to fly at an altitude of up to 1000 meters, at a cruising speed of up to 130 km/h and fly up to 35 minutes on a single charge.

XPENG X2 is equipped with two control modes: manual and autonomous. During autonomous flight, passengers can enjoy safe and intelligent flight with simple one-button launch, return and landing operations.

Additionally, the company is planning a new eVTOL to succeed the X2, a sixth-generation flying supercar that claims to be able to travel through the air and on the road.

AeroHT says more details on how it will work, as well as the design of the car itself, will be revealed at the 1024 XPENG Tech Day event later this month.

Mundoquatrorodas