XPeng is best known in China for its development of electric passenger aircraft, but Chery is also testing a “flying electric car” that is trying to give it a modular design and the ability to operate without a human being. As it became known recently, the Chery prototype was able to cover a distance of 80 km by air.
Image Source: BJ News
If we take into account that the bizarrely shaped vehicle is designed to carry two passengers, and is capable of staying in the air without recharging for no more than 40 minutes, then the flight distance obtained during the tests may well be considered acceptable. In the cabin of the hybrid electric aircraft and electric car there is no steering wheel, no steering wheel, no pedals. To save customers from the need to obtain a pilot’s license, Chery is initially focusing on automatic vehicle control.
The prototype design consists of three parts: the superstructure of the aircraft, a capsule to accommodate two passengers, and a base used for road travel. Such a prototype can only take off and land vertically, so it is not equipped with a wheeled landing gear. The base, close in shape to a regular car, is needed only for driving on roads. The aircraft is capable of rising to a height of no more than 1000 meters, and the flight speed does not exceed 120 km/h.
By the way, as CarNewsChina explains, rival company Geely also tested its electric aircraft in June of this year. Its take-off weight reached 2500 kg, cruising speed was 248 km/h, and the maximum reached 320 km/h. The prototype was controlled by a pilot and could carry six people by air. The development of such an aircraft is being carried out by a subsidiary of Geely.