We saw the impressive “electric” and flying car from Xpeng which will soon hit the roads

Xpeng is a Chinese startup that is making a lot of noise in Europe at the moment. It must be said that its electric cars have an excellent quality/price ratio, and tickle the Teslas without any problem. We recently tried the Xpeng G6 and G9 sold in France.

At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Xpeng’s aeronautical division, named Xpeng AeroHT, presented the production version of a very special plug-in hybrid car, named Land Aircraft Carrier.

This was unveiled at CES 2024, but with simple 3D renderings which did not inspire confidence. This is the first time that the general public can approach this vehicle outside of China. To summarize, it is a car that integrates a people transport drone into its trunk, capable of accommodating the pilot and his passenger.

Already more than 3,000 orders

This is not a crazy project or a concept that will never see the light of day. No, this vehicle is already available for pre-order (with 3,000 orders according to delivery by the end of 2025.

We still don’t know the interior of the car, which will be revealed later, but we do know that it will offer four real seats. Xpeng has integrated rear windows that are transparent from the inside, but opaque from the outside. The opposing doors open automatically.

We also know that the car, with a length of 5.5 meters by 2 meters in width and height, will be available in four colors. Based on an 800 volt architecture, it promises 1,000 km of autonomy on the CLTC cycle, thanks to its thermal engine which recharges the battery (which itself powers the car’s electric motors) whose capacity has not been communicated.

Six-wheel drive and fly-by-wire

The car has six-wheel drive and the rear wheels are steered, to facilitate maneuvering. The thermal engine allows the drone’s battery to be recharged and Xpeng announces an autonomy of six flights.

The drone integrates six retractable motors (rotors) and a panoramic (270°) carbon fiber cockpit to limit weight. We find fly-by-wire technology very present in aeronautics (and on the Tesla Cybertruck) for controls, with triple redundancy for flight safety.

Manual or automatic control

It is possible to pilot this drone manually, but Xpeng also offers an autopilot, including pressing a button to take off and land, an automatic route planner, real-time air traffic analysis using different sensors as well as a visual aid when landing. We are not talking about a 250 gram DJI drone, but rather a people transport aircraft.

Once the flight is over, the car automatically recovers the drone and stores it in the trunk. It is the same system that is activated during takeoff, with the press of a single button.

Who will have the right to drive and pilot?

The big question we ask ourselves is obviously that of the regulations and the license necessary to drive the car and pilot this drone. Xpeng promises that a simple driving license allows you to drive the car, but of course you need a pilot’s license to fly the drone.

It should be noted that the regulations in China are different from those in Europe, and it is a safe bet that this vehicle will only be sold in China. However, Xpeng has already obtained the necessary authorizations to fly its X5 drone which can transport six people, thanks to a special license, easier to obtain than for piloting a tourist plane.

The drone integrated into this car also already flew a few months ago in China, proving that it was perfectly functional and that it is not just a concept.

For the price, Xpeng Aeroht announces a price of 2 million yuan, or around 250,000 euros. It’s not that expensive to have a car and a transport drone.