A Chinese flying car manufacturer plans to launch its two-seater vehicle in rural areas by the second half of 2027, according to the company's chief executive. Deli Zhao, head of XPeng, said the $300,000 (£225,000) low-altitude device has been approved by China's civil aviation authorities for limited use and will initially serve recreational users in rural locations and emergency services. The vehicle, which has undergone ten years of development including trials of flying motorbikes at the company's Guangzhou base, features a cockpit roughly the size of a Fiat 500 and is lifted by six drone-like battery-powered propellers steered by a joystick.
The aircraft can fly autonomously to programmed destinations and operates at a maximum altitude of 1 kilometre, well below conventional unpressurised light aircraft. Zhao claimed the vehicle could be taught to new pilots in approximately five minutes. The package includes a six-wheel van about the size of a Ford Transit from which the flying vehicle unfolds. According to Zhao, the initial target market comprises people interested in diving, surfing, off-roading and flying. He noted that no one had been injured during use of the vehicle, which he described as helicopter-style rather than a traditional car despite its name.
The XPeng device currently has a flight range of 30 kilometres, though Zhao indicated this would soon increase to 60 kilometres through battery improvements. Usage will be restricted to approved park areas in China and by emergency services reaching inaccessible locations. Zhao revealed that approximately 20 companies in China are developing flying vehicles, part of a broader Beijing initiative to develop the low-altitude economy starting with cargo flights before expanding to passenger services and moving from rural to urban areas. He said XPeng had signed agreements with the United Arab Emirates and south-east Asian countries and aimed to enter the European market.
The XPeng announcement reflects intensifying competition between the United States and China over electric vehicles and drone technology development. Zhao compared XPeng's prototype favourably to Tesla's flying car design, which was recently demonstrated by Elon Musk, describing the Tesla version as hopping rather than truly flying. For UK investors and those tracking aviation innovation, XPeng's expansion plans signal growing international ambitions in the emerging low-altitude vehicle sector.