Xpeng, a Chinese start-up specializing in electric cars, is prepared to launch his eVTOL after obtaining a green light from the Chinese administration on January 30. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft could be mobilized for urban tourist flights and medical transport.
Xpeng starts before the competition
Xpeng subsidiary Aeroht obtained a special flight permit from Zhōngguó Mínyòng Hángkōng Jú, the equivalent of the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile in France. This authorization allows the electric plane, called X2, to fly with a pilot. The company plans to launch a large-scale test to accumulate data with the hope of future commercialization.
Xpeng takes a significant advantage by becoming the first company to obtain official certification in China. For the company, in a press release, the granting of a special flight license to the X2 marks an acceleration in the development of flying cars and will propel the entire eVTOL sector forward. »
X2, described as a flying car, consists of a cockpit with 4 propellers that can accommodate two people. The vehicle is designed for “future low-altitude urban flights including short-haul trips such as sightseeing and medical transport.” The aircraft can be operated in manual mode with a pilot or autonomously. It weighs 560 kg and can fly for up to 35 minutes, with a maximum flight speed of 130 km/h. Since its announcement in June 2021, the model has completed more than 3,000 tests.
Last October, the X2 had already received official certification in the United Arab Emirates and completed a first test flight in Dubai.
Aeroht said it is working on a new generation of its model. This machine could drive both on the road, like an ordinary car, and fly. It would also have the possibility of being piloted manually or autonomously.
This certification therefore allows Xpeng to pursue its diversification ambitions. Last year was disappointing for the automaker, which met half of its annual sales target according to Bloomberg. The start-up then pushed back its profitability target to 2025, initially scheduled for the end of 2023. In the space of a year, the value of the company’s shares plunged by 70%.
By 2040, according to Morgan Stanley, the global market for flying cars is expected to reach $1.5 trillion, three times the market for electric cars today. China’s Ministry of Transportation has listed eVTOL research and development as one of the industry’s top tasks over the next 13 years.
