World's first flying car factory begins trial production in south China

XPENG AEROHT, the flying car affiliate of Chinese electric vehicle maker XPENG, on Monday began trial production at the world's first intelligent factory for mass-produced flying cars -- a milestone in the commercialization of next-generation transport.

Located in the Huangpu district of Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, the 120,000-square-meter plant has already rolled out the first detachable electric aircraft of its modular flying car, the "Land Aircraft Carrier."

The facility is designed to have an annual production capacity of 10,000 detachable aircraft modules, with an initial capacity of 5,000 units. It has the largest production capacity of any factory of its kind, and will be capable of assembling one aircraft every 30 minutes once fully operational.

XPENG AEROHT has secured orders for nearly 5,000 flying cars since its product release, and mass production and delivery are scheduled in 2026, the company said.

The flying car comprises a six-wheel ground vehicle, referred to as the "mothership," and a detachable electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The eVTOL aircraft offers both automatic and manual flight modes. Its automatic mode enables smart route planning, as well as one-touch take-off and landing.

At about 5.5 meters in length, the vehicle can be driven on public roads with a standard licence and parked in regular spaces.