Flying Car Completes First Flight in Public

 

The electric flying car XPENG X2 conducted its first public flight at Skydive Dubai on October 10th.

XPENG X2 is under XPENG AEROHT, the largest flying car company in Asia, an affiliate of XPENG. They displayed its first flight after completing the specific operations risk assessment and achieving a special flying permit from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA).

Among the 150 attendees were representatives from the Chinese Consulate in Dubai, the Dubai International Chamber of Commerce, the DCAA, the Dubai Department of Economy and tourism, the Dubai World Trade Center and Global Media.

The Skydive Dubai, located adjacent to The Palm, provided the perfect venue with its excellent airspace conditions and panoramic views of the city.

A significant milestone: the X2

Vice Chairman and President of XPENG Brian Gu first introduced the X2 and the Future of Mobility on the opening day of GITEX at the Dubai World Trade Center.

He commented, “XPENG X2’s public display in Dubai represents a significant milestone for XPENG AEROHT and the international achievement of flying cars.

“Dubai is a world renowned city of innovation which is the reason we decided to hold the X2 first public flight event here. Today’s flight is a major step in XPENG’s exploration of future mobility,” he said.

The Dubai International Chamber of Commerce both supported and was deeply involved in the whole process from the beginning, providing strategic consulting to XPENG AEROHT.

Hassan Al Hashemi, Acting President and CEO cited in his speech at the event: “The first global public flight of the X2 flying car will change the game of future mobility.

“The flying car is the epitome of ambition, innovation and future-oriented vision that has always inspired Dubai and its leadership. Today, we witnessed a historic moment that will define the next 50 years,” he said.

Xpeng Aerohut’s exhibition at the tech show

The 42^nd edition of the GITEX GLOBAL 2022, one of the world’s largest tech shows, kicked off on October 10^th at the Dubai World Trade Center.

The show features 5000 companies and 100,000 attendees from 170 countries. In other words, it was a mass convergence of the most advanced companies and best minds. The purpose of their meeting being to dive deep into diverse technology topics including future mobility.

The X2 flying car was part of an exhibition at the XPENG AEROHT pavilion Za’abeel Hall 3.  As expected, on the first day of the event, it turned the heads of thousands of visitors.

Trixie Los Mirmand is The Executive Vice President of Events Management at Dubai World Trade Center and GITEX GLOBAL’S Organizer. In her words, “GITEX has played host to pivotal moments over the years. Today we are proud to support the first public flight of the pioneering flying car XPENG AEROHT X2 in partnership with the Dubai International Chamber.”

She then added that “Electric flying cars are the future of travel and it is incredible to witness history in the making today.”

The first public flight

The X2 is the fifth generation flying car manufactured and independently developed by XPENG AEROH. The car has an enclosed cockpit, a minimalist teardrop-shaped design and a sci-fi appearance. The design naturally takes highly efficient aerodynamics into account as well for the ultimate in-flight performance. The complete carbon fibre structure additionally reduces its weight, making it a relatively light vehicle.

It does not produce any carbon emissions, which is also a step forward. Furthermore, the X2 is suitable for future low-altitude city flights as well as short-distance city trips, sightseeing and medical transport.

The X2 comes equipped with two driving modes: manual and autonomous. Passengers can therefore enjoy the journey with the simple click of a button for a safe take-off and landing.

Bringing the X2 to life

A professional XPENG AEROHT team formulated the operation concept and manual of the X2 demonstration flight by collecting technical information from the X2 R&D team.

With assistance from the Sanad Academy and DCAA, they assessed operational risk to ensure its first public flight went well.

The XPENG X2 received appraisal from the DCAA reviewers for the stability and standardization of the entire flight operation process during the test.

For the first time, China has completed its operational risk assessment overseas. XPENG AEROHT has therefore become the first company to pass the assessment in Dubai in the specific weight class.

Why you should own a flying car

This car is able to drive in the air and on roads. This represents a true transformation from two-dimensional to three-dimensional mobility. It can also trigger the folding deformation system to achieve vertical takeoff and landing for a low-altitude manned flight. More importantly however, it will meet day-to-day travel demands. XPENG stated the vehicle will arrive sometime in 2024 and should cost approximately $157,000.