Chinese electric vehicle startup Xpeng is preparing to launch an eVTOL into the air to secure a critical regulatory green light.
Aerotowned by Xpeng and Xpeng founder He Xiaopeng, just obtained Special flight permit from China’s Civil Aviation Administration, equivalent to the US Federal Aviation Administration. The approval gives Aeroto permission to fly his X2 electric vertical take-off aircraft with a pilot under special conditions. With the approval, Aeroht says it will begin a series of manned flight tests to accumulate data in preparation for future mass production.
Described by Aeroht as a “flying car,” the X2 is a wheelless, two-seater carbon fiber quadcopter, but concept photos on the company’s website show that the company’s next-generation aircraft looks more like a sedan with wings. am.
At the moment, the X2 is “designed for the low-altitude urban flight of the future, making it ideal for short-range urban travel such as tourism and medical transport.” say that product informationIt can be operated manually or in an autonomous mode that automates start, return and landing maneuvers.model Since its first flight in June 2021, it has made over 3,000 test flights.
Aeroht is one of two independently funded ventures from nine-year-old Xpeng. In October 2021, the company closed his $500 million Series A round led by IDG Capital, 5Y Capital and Xpeng himself.please remember Rideable Robot Ponies for KidsThis is Xpeng Robotics, another project from Xpeng that has raised $100 million in Series A funding. last JulyIDG Capital is again the lead backer and Xpeng has joined.
Xpeng is pursuing these new ambitions at a time when its flagship EV business faces a speed bump. The automaker has pushed back its profit target until 2025 after he was disappointed in 2022, which fell short of half of its annual sales target. report Bloomberg earlier this week. The Guangzhou-based company is competing on price with established Chinese EV maker BYD, which emphasizes affordability, and Tesla, which has slashed prices several times to attract frugal consumers in the world’s largest car market. facing
