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XPeng Huitian, a brand of XPeng Motors in China, has presented a new flying car prototype with autonomous capabilities. The X2, as it’s known, is XPeng’s fifth-generation flying vehicle, and it “takes another step ahead to a more easily accessible and safe flying automobile,” according to the company’s Chairman and CEO.
XPeng Motors ($XPEV) is a Chinese electric vehicle company based in Guangzhou. Last summertime, the business went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and raised $1.5 billion. Since then, the firm has released two electric vehicles: the G3 SUV in 2018 and the P7 sedan in 2019.
At this year’s Shanghai Car Show, XPeng introduced pre-orders for a new sedan model dubbed the P5. XPeng has tested in flying car technology through its fully owned subsidiary, XPeng Huitian, in complement to electric cars.
XPeng presented a fourth-generation flying automobile named the Voyager X1 at the Shanghai Auto Show this year, in addition to the P5. This electric manned vehicle is similar in size to an EV, but it can fly and land vertically in a parking spot.
Since then, the Voyager X1 has flown over 10,000 times and is set to begin testing in China by the end of the year.
XPeng has released footage of its newest flying car, the fifth-generation X2, while the X1 remains in production.
XPeng’s CEO shows off the new X2 flying vehicle
XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng unveiled the X2 flying car in a previous Weibo post, which included a 1.5-minute video of the aircraft in operation. CnEVPost has provided further information about the X2 flying vehicle by publishing this story from China.
The XPeng Huitian flying vehicle weights 360 kilograms (794 pounds) and has a potential takeoff weight of 560 kilograms (1,235 lbs). The X2 has a range of 35 minutes and can attain a top speed of 130 km/h thanks to its battery-powered design (80 mph).
XPeng looks to have taken safety into account in its current design as well. After all, this is a flying automobile. The X2 features eight separate battery groups, providing a backup power supply in the event that any of the cells fail.
The electric vehicle also takes to the air, owing to eight rotors across four axes that provide multi-motor backup power.
Don’t panic if you’re still thinking, “There’s no chance in hell I’m stepping into that thing.” The new X2 flying vehicle from Xpeng has an extraction parachute. XPeng seems to be careful as well, since the X2 looks to be piloted remotely without even any courageous human riders in all of the film.
The introduction video from XPeng may be seen here.
Even if flying vehicles are silly, they’re still a lot of fun to watch. Flying vehicles have been a part of future dreams since the 1950s, despite how practical they are now, the humanity is nearer than ever before to turning them into reality.
Would I go for a test drive in the X2? Maybe not… at least not as a first-time traveler. The parachute provides some comfort, but not a lot. To be truthful, an ejection in mid-flight does not seem particularly pleasant.
It’s difficult to tell how near this flying automobile is to becoming a reality, as we only have limited information due to the language barrier.
XPeng, on the other hand, is already working on a 5th prototype of this vehicle and is reportedly preparing test runs with the X1.
It’s only a matter of time before the new X2 brings XPeng one bit closer to transforming China’s skyline into something out of The Jetsons.
