When thinking about flying cars, our imaginations often drift toward movies like Back to the Future, where flying cars seem to be the norm. A Chinese company has turned that movie magic into the real thing by completing the first public test flight of its two-seater flying car.
The public test took place at the GITEX technology expo in Dubai and while flying cars aren’t filling our skies just yet, a number are currently in development. The XPeng X2 lifts vertically off the ground using eight propellers, without the need for a runway. This makes it quite a suitable option for built-up urban areas, where a runway would be impossible.
The vehicle is designed to carry two passengers and is fully electric. It has the ability to rise through the air at around two meters per second and reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. Not bad for being able to speed through the skies.
The test flight lasted a mere 90 seconds but XPeng Aeroht was happy with the result. According to Liu Xinyin, chief aviation specialist at the company, the technology is getting close to being ready for public use. It all ends up in the hands of regulators that are causing delays in the use of these futuristic vehicles.
XPeng has plans to work with governments to establish a physical regulatory infrastructure for flying cars in urban areas with the hopes of reducing regulations over the next five years. The Chinese government will be looking to shrink current regulations since they have ambitious plans to launch flying taxis by 2025.