CES 2025: This $300,000 Chinese electric car can also fly
What's the story
Xpeng Aero HT, a subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) start-up Xpeng, has unveiled its futuristic "modular flying car" at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The vehicle, called the Land Aircraft Carrier, is a one-of-a-kind combination of an electric minivan and a compact eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.
The company plans to start mass production this year and has already received 3,000 intent orders for the vehicle.
The Land Aircraft Carrier is priced "below $300,000," the company says.
Hybrid design
Land Aircraft Carrier: A unique blend of car and aircraft
Unlike Xpeng's previous futuristic designs for flying cars, the Land Aircraft Carrier is a departure, a more practical one.
The vehicle doesn't need a big hangar but can be driven to a takeoff and landing site.
With a single command, the compact aircraft detaches and unfolds from the minivan before taking off.
After landing, it reattaches to the minivan which folds its arms and stores it back in the trunk.
Certification
Land Aircraft Carrier: A certified and tested innovation
The Land Aircraft Carrier has also received its type certification, meaning it meets production requirements. It has also completed its first public crewed flight demonstration.
However, to mass-produce the units, Aero HT still needs a production certificate and an airworthiness certificate.
The company's production facility in Guangzhou is already under construction and set to start production by the end of this year with a capacity of 10,000 vehicles per annum.
Funding
Xpeng Aero HT's funding and future plans
In 2024, Xpeng Aero HT raised $150 million in a Series B1 financing round to start building its facility. The company is still raising funds for its ambitious project.
The Land Aircraft Carrier modular flying car is only the first phase of Aero HT's long-term plans.
Future phases include building a high-speed, long-range tiltrotor flying car for an "integrated urban air mobility network," and an eVTOL flying car to enable "seamless, door-to-door, integrated land-air urban transportation systems."
Design details
Land aircraft carrier: Closer look at the design
The ground module of the Land Aircraft Carrier is a six-wheel vehicle, inspired by "what a lunar rover for Earth could look like."
It boasts a floating roof, dark wheel arches, and foldable rearview mirrors that retract into the fenders when parked.
The dual-swing doors open automatically in the back and even with the eVTOL inside, there's still room for four passengers.
Aero HT also says the vehicle will launch in four color options.
About eVTOL
eVTOL comes with six rotors
The eVTOL is designed to be ultra-lightweight, featuring a carbon fiber panoramic cockpit.
It boasts a dual-duct, six-rotor design with foldable propellers and arms, powered by an 800-volt silicon carbide high-voltage platform.
The company highlights the vehicle's safety features, including fully redundant systems for propulsion, power, communications, flight control, and operation, along with automatic rotor failure response.
Additionally, the eVTOL can operate autonomously, with intelligent flight assistance offering one-touch takeoff, automated route planning, real-time airspace monitoring, and landing vision assistance.