Xpeng X2: Will Your Next Car Be This Two-Seater Drone?
This page is translated from the original post "Xpeng X2 : votre prochaine voiture sera-t-elle ce drone biplace ?" in French.
- 27/08/2023 23:23
The Chinese electronics giant, Xpeng, achieved the first manned flight of its eVTOL, which it hopes to commercialize by 2025.
In aeronautical terminology, an eVTOL is an “electric vertical take-off and landing” aircraft, meaning an electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. In practice, it should be seen more as a very large drone capable, in the case of the Xpeng X2, of carrying two passengers with a total weight of 160 kg—that’s two people weighing 80 kg each. Beware of overindulging in fries at the canteen…
Weighing 680 kg, the X2 is equipped with 8 electric motors, two at each corner to prevent any failure. And for the anxious, a parachute is onboard to catch any fall.
For its first manned flight, over the Xiang River in the city of Changsha (Hunan Province), the X2 traveled approximately 1.5 kilometers and stayed airborne for 4 minutes. Ultimately, the commercial version aims for a 25-minute flight in 2025, which means it will only be suitable for short individual trips. Regarding the price, it is estimated to be between 100,000 and 200,000 euros.
Now, it’s about refining the design, boosting performance… and convincing authorities that these small aircraft could, within 2 or 10 years, complement urban mobility options, both in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.
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