18 hours Ago By Jamie Harris
A HUGE car with its very own foldable drone-like helicopter stowed in the back has been unveiled. The Land Aircraft Carrier is a "modular flying car" made by Chinese start-up Xpeng Aero HT and it's set to take to skies as soon as next year. A folded eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) pops out of the boot on demand with propellers that unfold.
The ground module, known as the "Mothership", uses a tri-axle, six-wheel design, with a 6x6 all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering to enhance off-road capability. Meanwhile the air module has several rotor blades, with support for manual and autonomous flight modes. The firm has received some 3,000 intent orders for the Land Aircraft Carrier.
It's due to go into mass production later this year before coming to customers in 2026. But it won't come cheap with a price tag somewhere "below $300,000", according to TechCrunch . While the vehicle may appeal to millionaire adventurers, it's likely to come in handy for emergency search and rescue teams too.
But it will only be available in China initially. The Land Aircraft Carrier was on show at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a major tech event that takes place in Las Vegas each year. It's not the first time Xpeng Aero HT has revealed mind-boggling flying cars like this.
At last year's CES, the firm showed a different concept designed to dodge traffic on the ground. On that model, the existing car had large propellers that shoot out of roof..
