Xpeng touts flying cars 2027

Xpeng said on April 23 it expects to begin large-scale production and deliveries of its “flying” cars in 2027. (reuters.com) The company’s president, Brian Gu, told Reuters the plan covers volume production of Xpeng AeroHT’s modular “Land Aircraft Carrier,” a six-wheeled vehicle that carries a detachable two-seat electric aircraft. Reuters reported the company also targets mass production of its humanoid robot in the fourth quarter of 2026. (reuters.com) A flying car in this case is not a sedan with folding wings. Xpeng’s product is a road vehicle that transports a small electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — an eVTOL, which lifts off like a helicopter and flies on battery power — and the aircraft can detach for short flights. (xpeng.com) Xpeng has been moving this project from concept demos toward manufacturing for two years. In April 2024, the company said the Land Aircraft Carrier would start pre-sales in the fourth quarter, and in November 2024 it said presales would open in December. (xpeng.com 1) (xpeng.com 2) The regulatory hurdle is aviation certification, not just car production. In March 2024, Xpeng AeroHT said China’s civil aviation regulator had accepted the type certificate application for the flying body, which begins the airworthiness certification process. (cnevpost.com) (caac.gov.cn) Factory work has also been advancing in Guangzhou. Xpeng said in September 2025 that the Land Aircraft Carrier had 5,000 pre-orders and late-2026 mass production was expected, while Tech in Asia reported on April 23 that the company now says it has more than 7,000 orders and a plant designed to scale from 5,000 to 10,000 units a year. (xpeng.com) (techinasia.com) That puts Xpeng’s latest 2027 target slightly later than some earlier company timelines that pointed to 2026 production or deliveries. Electrek reported in May 2025 that AeroHT had pushed deliveries into 2026 as it continued certification and factory work. (electrek.co) The project sits inside China’s broader push into what officials and companies call the “low-altitude economy,” a catchall for drones, eVTOL aircraft, and short-range air mobility services. Xpeng has tied the flying car effort to that wider strategy in its public product events and international showcases. (xpeng.com 1) (xpeng.com 2) Whether Xpeng hits 2027 will depend less on social media buzz than on certification, manufacturing yield, and where customers are actually allowed to fly. For now, the company has put a date on the calendar and moved the story from prototype flights to factory deadlines. (reuters.com) (electrek.co)