Low-altitude industry gains strategic importance

Meanwhile, Liu Xufeng, a senior consultant at consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan, said Xpeng Aeroht's latest order has driven the commercialization process of flying cars, and helped lay the foundation for its multi-field applications.

"For tourism and sightseeing, flying cars are expected to create a new experience of high-altitude sightseeing. For real estate projects, they will help provide air connections for high-net-worth clients. Besides, flying cars could quickly respond to emergency rescue demand in complex terrains and meet the demand for fast deliveries," Liu said.

During the airshow, Xpeng Aeroht's founder Zhao Deli showcased the fully automated separation and reconnection of the flying car between ground and air modules, demonstrating the country's innovation and potential in low-altitude economic growth.

"With just one touch on my smartphone, this 'transformer' releases the air module from the ground module," said Zhao.

The "Land Aircraft Carrier "offers manual and autonomous flight modes, including auto-route planning, autonomous cruising, one-touch return, 360-degree obstacle detection and descent vision assistance.

The air module is an eVTOL structure, built with carbon fiber for lightweight durability, the company said. Such an aircraft can also be called an air taxi, and it is expected to become a main tool for sightseeing and intercity transportation in the future.

Currently, the company's flying car manufacturing base is under construction in Guangzhou and it is expected to become the world's first mass-production facility for flying cars using a modern assembly line.

With a planned annual capacity of 10,000 units, the factory will focus on producing the air module for the "Land Aircraft Carrier" and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025, with deliveries expected to begin in 2026.

Fan Feifei contributed to this story.