XPeng’s Voyager X2 Demonstrates High Altitude Capabilities

XPeng, the electric car maker that recently expanded its vision to electric air vehicles, has announced that its new aircraft, the Voyager X2, has begun to conduct flight tests in both high altitude and extreme environments.

In July of this year , XPeng officially released the first footage of their compact two-seater electric air vehicle in flight. The aircraft features a very sleek design with hard edges, a silver exterior, and gull wing doors that are reminiscent of the DMC Delorean or even Tesla’s Cybertruck.

The current version of the Voyager X2 is its fifth generation, growing more and more advanced and it approaches the market.

According to a report from CnEVPost, XPeng told the public on the 29th of August that its Voyager X2 had been undergoing flying tests in extreme environments. These reportedly these include flights at high altitudes over cities like Xining, Yushu, and Northwest China’s Qinghai province. XPeng has stated the Voyager X2 has an autopilot function that can operate an automatic flight according to a predetermined altitude, speed, and flight time along a planned route.

Currently, the X2 can operate for up to 35 minutes and is designed to fly at altitudes of under 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). At top speed, this vehicle reaches around 130 km/hr (81 mph). The current model can carry two passengers under its maximum load around 440 pounds.

The X2 itself is created by Xpeng Huitian, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xpeng Motors. Unlike many other eVTOL developers, the company seeks not just to make a shared electric air taxi, but a more personal ‘flying car’ that can be used by individuals for their own travel needs. Notably, XPeng is also one of the world’s first auto manufacturers to branch out to making aerial vehicles, the ranks of which include of General Motors and Hyundai, who have both released concept vehicles as well.

Why it’s important: While other auto companies like General Motors and Hyundai have released concepts for aerial passenger vehicles, XPeng is the first to release footage of an aircraft in flight. Unlike the other two companies, XPeng is also making a vehicle that’s more in the style of a ‘flying car’, a personal use aircraft for 1 to 2 passengers for short trips. With its high degree of recent success in electric auto, XPeng may soon become another leader as a maker of urban aircraft, sharing this market segment with companies like EHang and Volocopter.

Source // XPeng, Electric, CnEVPost