By Zhang Yangjun
At the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show held in the U.S. city of Las Vegas, the “Land Aircraft Carrier,” a modular flying car developed by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker XPENG, made its first international debut, drawing significant attention worldwide. It is expected to be delivered to customers in 2026.
Flying cars are gradually turning into a reality, presenting endless possibilities for future transportation. Perhaps in 10 years, they are likely to shorten the commuting time from 1-2 hours to just 10-20 minutes, relieving the stress of traffic jams for city residents.
Today, people have a more concrete definition of flying cars. In a narrow sense, a flying car refers to a dual-mode vehicle that can both drive on the ground and fly in the air; while in a broad sense, it includes electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) used for public transportation.
In 2024, the China Society of Automotive Engineers released the country’s first research report on flying cars. It observed that the development of smart EVs in the 21st century has laid a solid industrial foundation for smart electric aviation.
According to the report, as a category of flying cars, eVTOLs are expected to become public transportation vehicles, just like cars on the ground, by integrating smart electric technologies and industrial chains of airplanes and cars. The concept of flying cars in a broad sense has been widely accepted by the industry, the report said.
Looking ahead, the era of flying cars is rapidly becoming a reality. According to a Chinese white paper on flying cars, the development of flying cars will go through three stages.
For the first stage, from 2025, flying cars will enter the 1.0 phase of commercialization, during which cargo eVTOLs will be put into commercial operation, while passenger eVTOLs will be demonstrated and applied in specific scenarios.
The second stage comes in around 2035, when flying cars will embrace the 2.0 phase of development, bringing forth more intelligent eVTOLs. These aircraft will be manufactured on a large scale and become a major mode of low-altitude transportation.
In the third stage, by around 2050, flying cars will enter the 3.0 phase, characterized by mass applications of amphibious flying cars that can drive on the ground and in the air. The low-altitude and ground transportation will be deeply integrated, establishing a three-dimensional intelligent transport system.
Many countries around the world are accelerating the innovation and application of flying cars. There are three main development approaches.
Firstly, some companies are transitioning from traditional mechanical aviation to smart electric aviation. For instance, companies like Joby Aviation in the U.S., European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, and Chinese companies such as AutoFlight and Aerofugia have leveraged their design experience and technological advantages in traditional aviation to develop flying cars.
Secondly, some businesses are venturing beyond smart EVs into smart electric aviation. Around 85 percent of the industrial chain that underpins flying cars is closely linked with smart EVs, providing a robust foundation for flying car technologies. For instance, XPENG and Chinese auto manufacturer GAC Group are intensifying their R&D efforts in flying cars based on their expertise in the smart EV industry.
Thirdly, other enterprises are moving from multi-rotor drones to smart electric aviation. Multi-rotor drones have established a foundation in flight control technology for smart electric aviation. For instance, Chinese drone maker EHang Holdings Limited and other companies are marching toward flying cars based on their early experience in multi-rotor drones.
Joby Aviation is set to commercialize eVTOLs in 2025, charting new territory in urban air mobility. Airbus, building on its extensive experience in traditional aviation and strong global presence, has initiated the CityAirbus NextGen project. In 2024, Airbus unveiled its fully electric CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype and successfully conducted the maiden flight, which was a major step in its transition from traditional aviation to smart electric aviation.
China’s world-leading technologies and industrial capabilities in EVs and multi-rotor drones provide a strong foundation for developing and producing flying cars. For example, Chinese automaker Changan Automobile has partnered with drone maker EHang to create an innovative approach – merging automotive and multi-rotor drone technologies, providing new momentum for the development of flying cars.
Low-altitude transportation serves as a primary platform and scenario for the application of new technologies such as new energy, artificial intelligence, big data, and 5G communications. It represents a strategic direction for the development of the low-altitude economy and will reshape the global economic development landscape.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and flying cars are the primary modes of transportation for low-altitude economic activities. Just as bicycles, motorcycles, and cars are important for the ground economy, consumer-grade UAVs, industrial-grade UAVs, and transportation-grade flying cars are equally essential in the low-altitude economy.
UAVs play a leading role in the low-altitude economy and has transitioned from consumer-grade recreational devices to industrial-grade production tools used for activities like power line inspections, and agricultural and forestry protection. Moving forward, the extensive application of flying cars will lead humanity into a new era of three-dimensional transportation, creating a trillion-dollar blue ocean market for the low-altitude economy.
(Zhang Yangjun is a professor with the School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University.)
The AE200 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) is exhibited at the third Global Digital Trade Expo held in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, Sept. 25, 2024. (Photo by Long Wei/People’s Daily Online)
