The era of flying cars is dawning, and Chinese companies are leading the way. In mid-October, XPeng Aeroht performed the first public, piloted overseas flight of a Chinese flying car in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and signed pre-sale agreements for 600 units of the Land Aircraft Carrier with customers from the Middle East. At CNY2 million per unit, the total contract value exceeded CNY1.2 billion, setting a record for the largest overseas order of Chinese flying cars. XPeng Aeroht has long been a key player in the flying car sector. Founded in 2020, it is the largest flying car company in Asia, specializing in the research, development and manufacturing of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. The Land Aircraft Carrier comprises a six-wheel ground vehicle, referred to as the “mothership”, and a detachable electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The eVTOL aircraft offers both automatic and manual flight modes. Its automatic mode enables smart route planning, as well as one-touch takeoff and landing. At about 5.5 meters in length, the vehicle can be driven on public roads with a standard license and parked in regular parking spaces. The flight module accommodates two passengers, with a maximum range of 130 kilometers and a top speed of 120 km/h, making it suitable for short-distance commuting and tourism.
Ali Ahmad Al Blooshi, an official from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said the Chinese solution for flying cars will help realize Dubai’s vision of “air commuting”. “Imagine a flight from Dubai to Abu Dhabi taking just 30 minutes. Personally, I’d definitely want one in the future,” he said. To date, global orders for the model have exceeded 7,000 units, demonstrating strong market recognition. XPeng Aeroht's flying car manufacturing plant in Guangzhou was completed in late September, with an annual production capacity at the “10,000-unit level”. Trial production started in early November.
Meanwhile, the company has built a research team of over 500 engineers and has filed more than 1,000 patents. It has developed proprietary technologies in battery energy density, autonomous driving algorithms, and lightweight materials. The successful overseas flight of the Land Aircraft Carrier is a reflection of the rapid development of China’s low-altitude economy, which spans manned airships, urban “aerial buses”, rapid drone logistics, and storm-resilient emergency drones. Analysts say China’s low-altitude economy features a coordinated development model of “top-level design plus local practice”. Statistics show that as of September this year, there had been over 50 low-altitude economy-related policies put in place nationwide covering infrastructure, scenario development, and safety regulation.
In early 2024, authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong, issued China’s first local low-altitude economy regulation. In March, Shaoxing in Zhejiang province launched a CNY2.05 billion low-altitude infrastructure project, the largest of its kind in China, involving takeoff and landing sites. In September, the Chongqing municipal government issued a draft regulation seeking public comment, promising to provide up to CNY20 million in subsidies for major low-altitude projects in the city. In Chengdu, Sichuan province, the authorities have released measures to enhance infrastructure, flight supervision, market expansion, and industrial support, with incentives reaching up to CNY30 million per company.
Besides policy support, technological breakthroughs along the industry chain are fueling the rise of the sector. Battery manufacturing giants such as CATL are developing high-density batteries for both electric vehicles as well as robots and flying cars. EVE, a battery maker headquartered in Guangdong, has been selected by XPeng Aeroht to provide low-voltage batteries for its projects. Huawei’s AI-powered air-traffic management system, running on Ascend AI chips, can process millions of flight paths per second and has undergone city-scale simulation tests in Shenzhen.
The low-altitude economy will signal a paradigm shift – elevating industries, transforming daily life and redrawing the map of possibility in three dimensions,” Gao Yuanyang, Director of the General Aviation Industry Research Center at Beihang University said. Meanwhile, materials supplier Zhongfu Shenying has slashed the production cost of carbon fiber, making lightweight flying car frames more economically viable. Some regions are rapidly exploring large-scale introduction of flying vehicles. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the West Lake sightseeing route began trial operations in September, with bookings in the first month exceeding 5,000, and rides priced at CNY680 per seat. In Chengdu, business commuter routes and “low-altitude tourism” models are being tested. “The flight from Dujiangyan to Qingcheng Mountain takes only 8 minutes, and in 2025, it is expected to serve over 100,000 tourists,” said Zhou Ting, Manager of Sichuan Airlines’ low-altitude operations. In an 80,000-square-kilometer trial area in Sichuan, aircraft can take off immediately upon filing. Sichuan has also built 20 general aviation airports, 17 civil transport airports, and 327 temporary takeoff and landing sites, the China Daily reports.
