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The Land Aircraft Carrier combines a ute and drone to allow owners to drive and fly, but regulation and safety are big hurdles to overcome for it to arrive in Australia.
Electric Cars
Chinese brand XPeng is looking to shake up the automotive market with the launch of its first consumer-ready ‘flying car’ in 2026.
However, in its first iteration at least, it won’t look much like the cars from Back To The Future, but instead essentially be a large drone that can be transported in a pick-up truck.
Called the Land Aircraft Carrier, XPeng’s dual-vehicle flying car solution will be priced in its home-market of China from below $US300,000 ($A472,000), according to XPeng Aeroht co-founder and vice-president Wang Tan.
XPeng believes it can sell around 10,000 units of the Land Aircraft Carrier annually, essentially making it the best-selling aircraft in the world.
The short-term plan is to use the vehicle for fixed inner-city routes, but over the next decade, the brand expects, technology and regulations to mature to a point where longer intercity trips and door-to-door flight can take place.
XPeng said you will need both a driver’s licence and a modified version of a pilot licence to operate its Land Aircraft Carrier – at least in China –but has simplified the drone’s controls in relation to a helicopter.
The brand outlines a new single-level control system to make the flying vehicle more “user friendly”, but users will still need to undergo training to pilot the vehicle.
XPeng believes the launch of its Land Aircraft Carrier will trigger China’s largest pilot training program to date.
But safety has also been a key consideration for XPeng, with the brand building in multi-layered redundancies for the control, powertrain, and communication systems in the case of failures.
The flying vehicle’s range is about 20km – or a 15-20-minute fly time – before it can return to the ‘mothership’ to be recharged in about 20 minutes.
Featuring a six-rotor design with foldable arms for storage, the flying vehicle also boasts a 270-degree panoramic cockpit with seating for two and carbon-fibre construction to manage weight.
The ute vehicle can recharge the flying unit about six times, and features a three-axle, 6x6 all-electric drivetrain.
Inside, there is space for four passengers, as well as the flying unit, and while XPeng has not revealed the exact sizing, the brand has stated it can be driven on a standard driver’s licence and fit in underground car parks.
The all-electric ground vehicle is also rated with a range of over 1000km on the less-stringent CLTC standard.
However, while the technology is in place and XPeng is looking to put its first flying vehicle package into production later this year, regulatory and safety hurdles remain in place – at least in countries outside of China.
XPeng is looking to offer its Land Aircraft Carrier globally, including Australia, but it is expected to take at least years before this red tape can be cleared for its local market introduction.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
