XPeng AeroHT, an affiliate of XPeng, conducted the first flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The flight was performed with the X2 air taxi after completing the specific operations risk assessment and achieved a special flying permit from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA). The flight took place at Skydive Dubai, located adjacent to The Palm.
The move comes after XPeng AeroHT said last year it would have the air taxis available for customers in 2024 and the aircraft would be able to take-off and land in urban environments.
The flight was part of Gitex Global 2022 that kicked off earlier this week at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event includes 5,000 companies and 100,000 attendees from 170 countries. XPeng AeroHT is also exhibiting at the trade show.
The X2
The air taxi is XPeng’s fifth-generation air taxi and adopts an enclosed cockpit with a complete carbon fiber structure. The two-seat aircraft does not produce carbon emissions and is suitable for future low-altitude city flights such as sightseeing or medical transportation.
The aircraft comes in two modes: manual and autonomous. In autonomous flight, the process of flight can be operated at the touch of a button including takeoff and landing.
Other features include:
- 1,675 lb capacity with two passengers.
- Range of 35 minutes at a height of 3,280 feet.
- Speeds up to 80 miles per hour.
- A full carbon fiber structure that weighs 1,234 lb.
