The Chinese company XPeng AeroHT announced plans to put one of its most unusual creations into production. At CES 2024, some attendees could barely contain their laughter when they saw the massive transformer called the Land Aircraft Carrier (LAC) — a modular vehicle that opens up to reveal an aircraft. A few months later, the team confirmed plans to build the electric car with the plane on board, and potential customers have already shown interest.
A supercar with an eVTOL module — a step toward transforming travel
XPeng AeroHT is a subsidiary of the automaker XPeng. Since 2013, the company has produced more flying cars in Asia than any other maker.
The latest development from the company, the LAC, looks like a sturdy six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle that conceals a compact passenger aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL).
The modular transformer design has two main parts. The first part doubles as an off-road vehicle and a launch platform: it has six wheels and can carry up to five passengers. The second part is an electric two-seat aircraft that can be operated autonomously or manually using conventional controls. Its cabin offers a 270-degree panoramic view, New Atlas reported.
The vehicle is currently undergoing airworthiness certification for passenger aircraft; the plane stays tucked inside the vehicle’s large body while it drives on roads.
Where and to whom will such a machine be useful?
Looking at images of the modular car, it’s easy to imagine driving off-road to the edge of a remote canyon — perhaps the Grand Canyon — and then taking off in a compact airplane. Private tours and trips for small groups could become a prime use case for a modular flying car like this.
It’s also easy to imagine the LAC being used for search-and-rescue operations in remote wilderness. An aircraft with an eVTOL system could be invaluable when terrain becomes impassable for wheeled vehicles or difficult for helicopters to navigate.
The need for this kind of vehicle may also arise for researchers who need to survey large areas of land from a bird’s-eye view.
XPeng AeroHT says it will deliver the first Land Aircraft Carrier to a customer in the fourth quarter of 2024. Deliveries to additional customers are expected to begin in 2025 as the waiting list grows.
Specifications such as flight range, power, and charging time are currently unknown.
