BEIJING: Xpeng Aeroht, a flying car unit of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors, will launch preorders for its modular flying car in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a senior company executive.
The company, based in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, also plans to start mass production and delivery of the flying cars to individual users in the fourth quarter of next year, company vice-president Qiu Mingquan said.
“The modular flying cars will only be sold to individual users after obtaining airworthiness permits and obtaining certification and permission from national regulatory authorities and institutions for product safety,” Qiu told a group of reporters touring the company on Wednesday. The modular flying car has ground and air modules, which can autonomously separate and combine. The air module facilitates vertical takeoff for low-altitude flights, while the ground module ingeniously envelops the air module, allowing for ground transportation, according to the company.
The vehicle’s air module has had its Type Certification application accepted by the Civil Aviation Administration of Central and Southern China, signifying the model is set to enter the airworthiness certification phase.
Type Certification is an approval of the design of civil aviation products including civil aircraft, aircraft engines or propellers, issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in accordance with regulations governing the quality of civil aviation products and parts.
The air module, the first Chinese-developed manned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for individual users, has manual and autonomous driving modes and a panoramic two-seat cabin.
The land-based module is an intelligent cabin for four to five people, equipped with a range-extending electric drive power system, which can provide multiple energy supplements for the flying module. It will be certified according to Chinese automotive standards in the future.
Beyond personal use, the modular flying car also holds potential for public services like emergency rescue, effectively catering to both public and private demands, according to Qiu.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
