Watch XPeng AeroHT complete its first international ‘flying car’ flight in Dubai with the X2 eVTOL
XPeng’s urban air mobility (UAM) company AeroHT has demonstrated huge progress for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles by showcasing its fifth-generation X2 ‘flying car’ publicly taking off, flying, and successfully landing during a demonstration in Dubai. Additionally, the company offered a progress update for its sixth-generation flying car, which is an actual car with wheels that drives and can take off and fly. Check it out.
AeroHT, fka XPeng Huitian, is a majority-owned entity of XPeng Inc. and its founder He Xiaopeng. Since its inception in 2013, AeroHT has conducted over 15,000 safely manned flights with the goal of combining automotive and aerospace technologies to develop safe, domestic electric flying vehicles at scale. These days, it’s well on its way.
Previous eVTOL prototypes include the T1 in 2019, followed by the X1 in 2020. The X2 is the company’s fifth-generation “flying car.” Despite its lack of wheels, AeroHT refers to the X2 as a flying car because it shares much of the same design DNA as the P7 sedan from XPeng Motors.
In the past, XPeng AeroHT has shared aerial footage of the X2 testing in extreme environments and high altitudes, but only in China. As it works toward delivering its sixth-generation model – an actual flying car unveiled last October – XPeng AeroHT has publicly shown off the capabilities of its fifth-generation flying car in Dubai.
For the first time, we get to see uncut footage of the eVTOL taking off, flying, and landing. That video is below, but to kick things off, check out this edited footage of the X2 flying car on display at Skydive Dubai outside of Gitex Global 2022:
X2 flies in Dubai ahead of details for AeroHT’s next flying car
Following the live demonstration in Dubai, XPeng AeroHT shared details of the event, the company’s progress, and its future in a detailed press release. This initial public flight was attended by over 150 people and was supported by the Dubai International Chamber of Commerce, which was deeply involved in the entire process, providing consulting to XPeng AeroHT.
The X2 flying car is on display this week at Gitex Global – one of the world’s largest tech shows taking place at the Dubai World Trade Center. When moved off-site to Skydive Dubai, the XPeng X2 successfully completed specific operations risk assessments outlined with the DCAA, receiving permission to make its first public flight in Dubai – its first outside of China. XPeng’s vice chairman and president Brian Gu spoke to the achievement overseas:
XPeng X2’s public display in Dubai represents a significant milestone for XPeng AeroHT and the international achievement of flying cars. Dubai is a world-renowned ‘City of Innovation’, which is the reason we decided to hold the X2 first public flight event here. Today’s flight is a major step in XPeng’s exploration of future mobility.
Part of the “exploration of future mobility” Gu is speaking to is XPeng’s sixth-generation eVTOL – a true ‘flying car’ in a more traditional sense given that it can actually drive too. It was first unveiled during the company’s 1024 Tech Day last fall.
At the time, we learned that this latest flying car would be the first to come equipped with road capabilities, offering a lightweight design and foldable rotor mechanism for quick transitions between driving and flying. Additionally, XPeng stated the vehicle will arrive sometime in 2024 and should cost below RMB 1,000,000 (or approximately $156,600).
From Dubai, XPeng AeroHT is teasing new details of this flying car, stating it will reveal “the crucial achievement of R&D progress” as it pertains to the configuration, exterior design, and air driving method. Per XPeng AeroHT:
Equipped with both manual and automatic flight driving modes, this next-generation electric flying car, which is able to drive in the air and on roads, represents a true transformation from two-dimensional to three-dimensional mobility. As well as meeting daily travel demands, it can trigger the folding deformation system to achieve vertical take-off and landing for a low-altitude manned flight.
Those details will be made public during this year’s 1024 Tech day on October 24. More to come later this month. For now, we will have to settle for uncut footage of XPeng’s fifth-generation flying car (without wheels) operating in Dubai. Enjoy.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
Read more: Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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