Chinese automotive company, Xpeng Inc. successfully tested an electric flying taxi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Monday (10/10/2022). The flying taxi will later be used as urban transportation.
The flying taxi, named Xpeng X2, is one of dozens of flying car projects in the world being developed by aviation affiliate XPeng Inc. The demonstration was held with an empty cockpit, but the company says it conducted a pilot test with a crew in 2021.
“The X2 is a two-seat eVTOL [electric vertical take-off and landing] flying car. The X2, as the company’s fifth generation flying car, is the latest generation of flying cars independently developed by XPeng AEROHT,” said Chairman of Xpeng, He Xiaopeng, quoted from official website on Tuesday (11/10/2022).
Furthermore, he said, Xpeng X2, which offers futuristic technology with a flight mode across the air, will soon enter the stage of mass production and delivery to customers in 2024.
Among previous flying car projects, only a handful have been successfully piloted with passengers on board and it will likely take years before they are fully operational.
Launching the Associated Press, Tuesday (10/11/2022), the sleek design Xpeng X2 electric flying taxi can carry two passengers and is powered by batteries. The Xpeng X2 has eight electric motors and is claimed to be able to reach a maximum speed of 130 km per hour with a flight time of 35 minutes.
Unlike airplanes and helicopters, the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) is a flying car that offers fast personal travel from one point to another.
Unmanned flying cars are expected to be able to transport passengers across cities over congested highways. However, the sector still faces major challenges, including battery life, air traffic control and safety, and infrastructure issues.
