Called flying cars, eVtols (vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) are a bet for the future of mobility. However, the vehicles already presented look more like helicopters. Xpeng wants to change that.
The model displayed by the Chinese automaker at the Beijing Motor Show is, in fact, a car that can fly. There are tires, seats and a steering wheel, although it looks more like an airplane joystick.
It is a conceptual experiment, without an instrument panel or traction system. Still, it shows that there is a way to overcome the limitations of this type of vehicle.
For example, the Xpeng vehicle could travel by land to complement a trip or access a charging point.
In 2022, the Chinese company carried out the first flight with a prototype, which was basically a conventional car with a giant drone on the roof. The vehicle shown in Beijing is more advanced, as the electric rotors are retractable.
The challenge is to make an eVtol that weighs more than two tons reach great distances. The autonomy problem should only be resolved with the arrival of solid-state batteries, scheduled for the next decade.
The journalist traveled at the invitation of GWM do Brasil
