Watch The Xpeng X2 Flying Car’s Public Flight In Dubai
This futuristic eVTOL with driving and flying capability could be available as early as 2025.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng just moved one step closer to bringing its X2 flying car to market in the next few years.
At GITEX GLOBAL 2022 technology tradeshow hosted by the Dubai World Trade Center, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle made its maiden public voyage for a crowd of 150 Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) members, reps from various other government offices and media. According to a statement, members of the DCAA were particularly complimentary of its stability.
The all-electric, eight-rotor quadcopter can carry two passengers at speeds up to 80 mph for 35 minutes. A few button presses will engage automatic take-off, flying and landing procedures, eliminating the need for passengers to have pilot’s licenses. A manual mode will also be available for those with proper licensure who want to take control.
Without wheels, the fifth-generation version that flew in Dubai isn’t a true “flying car” capable of flight and ground transportation. But the sixth-generation model, to be shown on XPENG’s own tech day on October 24, will be capable of both flying in the air and driving on the roads.
That sixth-generation X2 is presumably the same eVTOL with a Bugatti-like shape and two large rotors that Xpeng teased in late 2021. A digitally rendered showcased a pre-production model’s ability to drive to the end of an isolated dirt road, unfold two rotors, soar above forested wilderness, and land on a mountain.
Deli Zhao, president of the HT Aero eVTOL company that is working with Xpeng to make the X2 a reality, said at the time that the sixth-generation vehicle would roll out as early as 2024. But with several regulatory hurdles to clear, the Daily Mail expects that 2025 is a more realistic target date.
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