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XPeng Shows Voyager X2 Flying Car, With Autonomous Capabilities

Humanity has been dreaming of flying cars for decades but, so far, not much has come of those dreams. We’re getting closer, though, with various companies looking into eVTOLs (electric takeoff and landing aircraft) as the next best thing to the fabled “flying car.”
XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021 8 photos
Photo: Weibo / XPeng Motors via CnEvPost.com
XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021XPeng Motors' Voyager X2, the fifth-generation flying car unveiled in July 2021
China has been working on flying cars, as well. XPeng Motors, for one, is now at the fifth generation of its flying car, known as Voyager: just the other day, it unveiled Voyager X2 on Weibo, Electrek reports. That first link includes a video of the prototype making an unmanned flight over the countryside.

CnEvPOst has more on the specs of this flying car, which is similar to eVTOLs in development in the U.S. and Europe: it’s more of a passenger drone with eight propellers across four axes, and autonomous capabilities. The dry weight of the vehicle would be 360 kg (794 pounds), with a total payload of 560 kg (1,235 pounds), or seven or eight people.

Traveling at a maximum speed of 130 kph (80 mph), Voyager X2 would have a range of 35 minutes. It’s not enough to make it a solution for long-distance travel, but it’s better than nothing. It would work wonderfully in crowded urban areas, where people have to commute from out of the city on a regular basis. It would be a major improvement in terms of saving time, money and the ever-pressing issues in such areas, like traffic congestion and pollution.

Voyager X2 is not yet ready for testing with people onboard, but once it is, it will use several safety measures, including eight independent battery groups for redundancy, 24-hour monitor system and, as a last resort, an ejection parachute. It will also be capable of autonomous flight and, consequently, mapping the ground, self-landing, and two-way communication.

XPeng brought the previous-gen Voyager, X1, at Shanghai Auto earlier this year. Also there, it noted that Voyager X1 had already completed over 10,000 test flights and was readying for test drives by the end of 2021.

The video available below is not the one shared on Weibo, but it does show the Voyager X2 inside-out. What it doesn’t show is the flying car in motion.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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