Xpeng Motors CEO He Xiaopeng said the company plans to begin mass production of its flying cars next year, forecasting that the sector will grow faster than traditional vehicles and eventually overtake them in market share.
“Xpeng plans to truly mass-produce flying cars next year. Their growth rate will certainly surpass that of cars, and their future market share will also exceed that of cars,” He said at the 2025 Sustainable Global Leaders Summit on Wednesday.
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The announcement follows a major rebranding of Xpeng’s flying car subsidiary. Formerly known as Xpeng Aeroht, the division has been renamed Aridge, a move the company said would promote more independent development and support global expansion. The rebranding was unveiled at an event in Dubai, where Aridge introduced its new logo and showcased the A868 — a hybrid long-range flying car designed with a range exceeding 500 kilometers and a top speed above 360 km/h. The model is set to make its official debut in Guangzhou in November, the company added.
He’s optimism is grounded in Xpeng’s growing momentum in the emerging electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector. Aridge recently secured an order for 600 units in the Middle East, bringing total cumulative orders to about 7,000.
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At the China EV 100 Forum in March, He projected that within 10 to 20 years, flying cars could account for 3%–5% of the global automobile market in unit sales and as much as 20% in revenue — equivalent to a potential $2 trillion industry based on the current $10 trillion automotive market.
Aridge’s product strategy includes two key models. The first is a modular “Land Aircraft Carrier,” where the aircraft can fold automatically into the car’s trunk, intended for short-distance tourism and urban air mobility with a range under 30 kilometers. The second is the A868 tilt-rotor aircraft for intercity travel, capable of flying more than 500 kilometers at speeds exceeding 360 km/h — a trip such as Guangzhou to Changsha could take roughly one hour.
Xpeng completed Aridge’s smart manufacturing base in Guangzhou in September, with an annual production capacity of 10,000 units, setting the stage for mass production and delivery in 2026.
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According to a forecast by Boston Consulting Group, the global market for manned eVTOL aircraft could reach $225 billion by 2040, with the Middle East alone expected to account for $11.7 billion, of which personal eVTOLs could make up nearly 85%.
Under current plans, Aridge aims to begin domestic mass production and delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026 and start consumer sales in the Middle East market in 2027.
Source: ChinaEVHome
