XPeng AeroHT presents electric land aircraft carrier

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The Chinese company XPeng AeroHT wants to make flying cars part of the transportation infrastructure. At CES 2025, it is presenting its “land-based aircraft carrier”, a three-axle delivery van that transports a folded aircraft in the rear.

The hybrid car is 5.5 meters long and two meters wide and high. It offers space for four people. In total, the duo weighs 4.3 tons. The manufacturer promises a range of 1000 kilometers.

Loading and unloading: a tight squeeze

The carbon-fiber aircraft, which weighs around 700 kilograms, is automatically loaded and unloaded at its destination, very slowly and carefully, as it has to fit into the rear of the vehicle with centimeter precision. First, the tailgate and the wing doors open. The aircraft then moves out of the rear on a rail, its wings folded tightly against the fuselage like an insect emerging from its cocoon.

When it protrudes far enough outwards, two legs fold down, and it stands on them while the three-axle aircraft moves forwards and raises its tail. Then two more legs fold down at the front. Finally, the rear of the vehicle lowers and the aircraft stands free. It is loaded in the same way, only in reverse.

Eight control modules monitor the rotor folding and position as well as the height and landing gear of the aircraft. The transport vehicle also charges the battery of the electric aircraft.

XPeng AeroHT: Flying made easy

The fuselage of the aircraft is rectangular and about as ergonomically shaped as a cardboard box. Only the windshield is curved at the top. The six rotor arms have to be folded out manually. The rotors then automatically move into position and lock into place. A video from the manufacturer shows it in flight. The four legs apparently remain unfolded.

The aircraft should be able to stay in the air for 15 to 20 minutes on a single battery charge – theoretically a little longer, but for safety reasons the battery must not fall below a certain minimum capacity, explained co-founder Tan Wang in an interview with heise online.

Two electric doors open automatically. The cabin can accommodate two people. A small display informs the pilot about the flight data. In addition to manual control, an autopilot is also available, according to the manufacturer. In manual mode, you fly with one hand using a kind of joystick. This should be easier to learn than the classic helicopter controls.

Autopilot and “smart return to home”

Pilots can learn how to handle the aircraft in five minutes, says Wang. According to the manufacturer, they have to keep an eye on six parameters. They actively control the rate of climb, forward and lateral speed as well as the course. The flight control system ensures attitude and altitude stability, for example in the event of updrafts or turbulence. You can also choose between comfort and sport mode.

The autopilot plans the route after entering the destination, altitude, and speed. The flight control system should be able to react to the situation to avoid collisions. Pilots can switch to manual control at any time. At the touch of a button on “Smart Return-to-Home”, the aircraft will also automatically return to its starting point. The manufacturer promises full redundancy of critical systems.

A future with flying cars?

In the future, XPeng AeroHT wants to produce 10,000 of these vehicles per year and offer them to private customers in China at a price of less than 300,000 US dollars. The manufacturer also sees applications in the public sector, such as emergency medical transportation, rescue missions in difficult landscapes, assistance in highway accidents or evacuation from high-rise buildings.

That sounds ambitious. After all, the company has had a special flight permit for China since 2023. According to the company, it successfully tested a multiple parachute system for low altitudes of 15 meters at the end of 2023. XPeng AeroHT is negotiating with the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority CAAC and the US Federal Aviation Administration FAA for approval.

The long-term plan consists of three phases. The land aircraft carrier represents phase 1 and is intended to enable low-altitude flights in controlled environments such as suburbs, scenic areas and flight camps. In phase 2, the company wants to offer an aircraft for longer distances between cities.

Finally, phase 3 is intended to enable door-to-door travel – with the flying sports car presented at CES 2024, which carries its wings on the roof. At that time, the manufacturer promised to be able to deliver by the end of 2025. That date is now a long way off.

Heise Medien is the official media partner of CES 2025.

(akr)