Xpeng's flying electric car gets closer

The Chinese manufacturer's AeroHT short-range aircraft have been given the green light to be certified. Now the testing process begins

Xpeng Aeroht

By: Gianmarco Gori

Published by: Brian Potter

Mar 29, 2024 at 7:21am ET

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XPeng's AeroHT division, dedicated to vertical take-off aircraft (eVTOL), announced that it has been given the go-ahead in China to proceed with design certification (or Type Certificate, TC) for its X3-F prototype.

Once the aircraft gets the OK from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC, the company will also be able to apply for flight certification, thanks to which it will be able to start production of the aircraft in 2025.

A new world

The eVTOL sector is a growth industry. In the next few years, according to promises made by companies in the sector, we will be able to see these aircraft in the skies of major cities, transporting tourists and citizens without passing through the streets, thus avoiding traffic.

Xpeng's flying electric car prototype

Since the start of operations over a decade ago, AeroHT has successfully completed thousands of flights, collecting data to develop the final, official models suitable for commercial use.

And it is precisely this last step that could take place very soon after, as anticipated, the company obtained the OK in China to start the lengthy TC design certification process. The company's website, in particular, states that:

"The type certificate (TC) is a civil aviation product design approval (civil aircraft, aircraft engine or propeller) issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to the civil aviation product design unit in accordance with the 'Regulations on the Approval of Qualification of Civil Aviation Products and Parts' (CCAR-21)."

"This acceptance of the TC application represents the authority's recognition of XPeng AeroHT's comprehensive capabilities and the feasibility of the project."

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What Xpeng's modular flying car looks like

Xpeng AeroHT's eVTOL is a modular aircraft consisting of a dedicated ground module and a dedicated flight module, which can be separated and recombined independently. The ground module can fully accommodate the dedicated flight module inside the rear cargo compartment.

The flight module is the first manned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft developed in China for commercial use. It features a zero-emission propulsion system with both manual and autonomous driving modes and a 270° two-seat panoramic cabin.