Chinese air taxi vendor Xpeng Aeroht has introduced a new modular flying car that combines a minivan type vehicle with a duo rider aircraft. The company announced it has 3,000 orders committed to buying the vehicle.
Called the Land Aircraft Carrier, the modular vehicle was introduced in a demonstration in Guangzhou, China, the flying module part of the vehicle took off vertically from a grass location, circled once in the air and then landed smoothly. The company said this represents how the vehicle would shift from a driving mode to a flying mode.
The first public manned flight will take place at the China Airshow in Zhuhai, China, in November. The Land Aircraft Carrier will also appear at the Guangzhou International Auto Show in November. The vehicle demonstration comes after Xpeng Aeroht debuted its other flying car at CES 2024 in Las Vegas in January.
Cybertruck meets drone
The Land Aircraft Carrier seems to resemble a minivan type Tesla Cybertruck for the automotive portion of the vehicle known as the mothership. The air module looks to be a small drone-type air taxi that can be used to transport two people by air.
The ground module features a six-wheel, three-axle design with a 6x6 all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering. This allows it to venture off-road and carry a large payload. The trunk can store the air module while still having space for four people in the interior, Xpeng said.
The automotive portion of the Land Aircraft Carrier has room to house the air module as well as four passengers. Source: Xpeng Aeroht
The ground module serves as a mobile platform but also a storage and energy station for the air taxi module. The module also is equipped with what Xpeng claims is the world’s first 800 V silicon carbide extended-range powertrain to provide more than 1,000 kilometers of range. There are also autonomous driving functions of the automotive module while serving as the mobile charging station for the flight module.
The flight module includes a six-axis, six-propeller dual-ducted fan design with a carbon fiber body and blades. It also includes a 270° panoramic cockpit to provide a wide field of view for the pilot. When the air module lands, the six arms and propellers fold back in and reconnects with the ground module to reunite the two portions of the vehicle.
The flight module features:
- Fully integrated 800 V silicon carbide platform
- Flight battery
- Electric drive
- Ducted fans
- Compressors operating at 800 V
