A Chinese manufacturer says travelers in China could ride in two-seat autonomous flying cars as early as next summer, unveiling a production timeline that puts commercial deliveries in the second half of next year.
Deli Zhao, chief executive of Xpeng, said the low-altitude aircraft will retail for about $300,000—more than Tk 3.5 crore—targeting recreational pilots in rural areas and emergency responders first. Developed over roughly 10 years and tested in flying-motorcycle prototypes at Xpeng’s Guangzhou base, the craft recently won limited operating approval from China’s Civil Aviation Administration.
About the size of a Fiat 500, the cockpit lifts off via six battery-powered rotors like a drone, can fly autonomously to a preset destination, or be steered with a single joystick after what Zhao—a licensed pilot—claims is five minutes of instruction. The price includes a six-wheeled support van comparable to a Ford Transit whose rear opens like a Transformers movie scene to deploy the craft, inspired in part by Harry Potter and Spider-Man’s Green Goblin glider.
Unveiling a prototype Tuesday at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Zhao noted nobody has been injured testing the rotorcraft, which lacks wheels and functions like a helicopter-style drone targeting diving, surfing, off-road, and aviation enthusiasts. Amid fierce competition between the United States and China in electric vehicles and drone technology, he dismissed a flying-car demonstration last month by Tesla chief Elon Musk as “jumping in the air, not truly flying” and agreed it resembled a circus stunt, adding Xpeng’s craft reaches up to 1 km altitude—lower than a Cessna—and travels up to 30 km per charge, a range Xpeng aims to double soon.
Operating restrictions limit flights to approved parks and emergency rescues, fitting Beijing’s broader “low-altitude economy” push among some 20 Chinese developers aiming to expand cargo and passenger drones from rural hubs into cities, with partnerships already signed across the United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia and European expansion planned next.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report