eVTOL Aircraft

XPeng AeroHT’s flying car carrier 

During a press event held live at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, XPeng AeroHT shared significant updates on the progress of its “flying car” technology. First, the Land Aircraft Carrier in the featured image above has been slotted for scaled production in 2025.

Before then, however, the company will open pre-orders for the modular EV/ eVTOL combo beginning in Q4 of this year. Described by its makers as “not another mere concept,” AeroHT shared that the Land Aircraft Carrier has already completed all necessary tests during its R&D validation phase and has now begun the preparation stage for mass production.

 

While XPeng AeroHT states the final design of the “flying car” is still in development, it should feature the following specs if and when scaled production begins:

  • Ground Module (BEV)
    • Accommodates 4-5 passengers.
    • Extended-range electric powertrain can recharge the eVTOL air module multiple times.
    • Three-axle, six-wheel configuration enables 6×6 all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering.
  • Air Module (eVTOL)
    • Fully-electric piloted aircraft capable of vertical takeoff/landing and low-altitude flights.
    • Its electric propulsion system meets single-point failure safety requirements.
    • The eVTOL supports manual and autonomous flight modes.
    • A 270° panoramic two-person cockpit offers a wide field of view.

 

 

An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is a variety of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. This technology came about thanks to major advances in electric propulsion (motors, batteries, fuel cells, electronic controllers) and the emerging need for new aerial vehicles for urban air mobility that can enable greener and quieter flights. Electric and hybrid propulsion systems (EHPS) have also the potential of lowering the operating costs of aircraft.[1]: 1–2 

Original eVTOL aircraft designs are being developed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that include legacy manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing,[2] Embraer, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota, as well as several start-up companies including Archer Aviation, EHang, Joby Aviation, Overair, and Volocopter. This ecosystem of firms developing eVTOLs includes also spin-off of legacy aircraft manufacturers, such as Eve Air Mobility that emerged from the EmbraerX division of Embraer, as well as partnerships, such as Wisk Aero that was launched as a joint venture between Boeing and Larry Page's Kitty Hawk.