Check out video footage of XPeng AeroHT’s flying car completing its maiden flight
Following XPeng’s recent 1024 Tech Day event in China earlier this week, we have finally been able to share video footage of its latest generation of eVTOL built by AeroHT. As promised during the presentation, XPeng’s flying car prototype completed its maiden flight and has the receipts to prove it. You’ve gotta see this.
Earlier this week, we delivered a recap of XPeng’s annual 1024 Tech Day, where the company introduces new and upcoming products and services, whiles teasing some of the advanced technologies it’s developing for the future. For a second year in a row, XPeng’s urban air mobility (UAM) division AeroHT stole the show with its flying car prototype.
The unique eVTOL that can drive on roads and navigate through air was first unveiled at XPeng’s 1024 Tech Day in 2021, which included some sleek renderings and an animated video. This year’s presentation included news that the XPeng AeroHT team had upgraded the design of the sixth-generation eVTOL from a horizontal dual-rotor structure, to a new distributed multi-rotor configuration.
The company also shared that the overall system design complexity of the eVTOL had been reduced to ensure better safety and reliability during flights. Better yet, a prototype had been built and had completed its maiden flight. Naturally, we were eager to see this footage, but it was shared during the end of the Tech Day Presentation in China, and we had to wait for the entire video to be translated to English and posted.
In the meantime, we shared a cool video of XPeng’s latest flying car in action, but it was once again animated renderings and not the real thing. Today however, we have gotten our hands on footage of the maiden flight, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, although it’s not without its journalistic skepticism and future safety concerns. Check it out below.
Watch XPeng’s flying car take off, fly, and land
As promised, we were able to track down and share footage of the flying car flight, straight from the end of XPeng’s translated Tech Day presentation. There’s lots of other cool technology on the way from this Chinese automaker, so we recommend checking out the full presentation if you have time.
Anyways, back to the flight. As you’ll soon see, the flying car prototype drives out onto a tarmac, engages its propellers, and takes off vertically as the XPeng AeroHT team looks on with bated breath. The flying car doesn’t move around too much, but it does reach a decent height before descending back to Earth and sticking its landing, thanks to the vehicle’s suspension and tires.
Check out the video below and let’s talk about it. Does this look legitimate? Is this the future of mobility a la The Jetsons? Or are we on the fast track to getting decapitated?
Electrek’s Take
This footage is as scary and concerning as it is exciting and awe-inspiring. There are plenty of ways that XPeng and AeroHT could have pulled this flying car video off, perhaps using a lighter-weight vehicle or cardboard parts. But in my interactions with the team and its engineers, that doesn’t seem like their style. He Xiaopeng is not Trevor Milton, and AeroHT is something he has personally invested in, in addition to funding from XPeng Inc.
Regardless of how viable this flying car is, there is no denying the fact that we have not seen anything like this before. UAM continues to grow and move closer to reality each day with eVTOLs designed more similarly to planes than anything, but XPeng has combined a car. A flying car.
At its very nucleus, the mere fact that XPeng and AeroHT were able to imagine a flying car like this, assemble a prototype, and get it airborne should be commended. Even if it does not become a scaled production vehicle, its challenge to the status quo and proving what is possible is perhaps worth more. We need more of this sort of thinking and tinkering out there.
Obviously, there are major safety concerns regarding the propellers, and there would need to be serious regulations and safe practices before this becomes a viable mobility segment, but that’s the boring stuff that’s a lot easier than building a vehicle that can drive, retract propellers, and take off into the air. Read that sentence again. What a time to be alive.
XPeng and AeroHT are a long ways away from the beautiful rendering you see in the image above, but by developing and testing this flying car with video proof, they are arguably closer to delivering one than anybody else out there. You simply cannot knock people for trying. They should be celebrated.
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Last week, we reported that the e-bike world had a new motor claiming to be the lightest and most efficient. Now, we’re already seeing TQ’s new TQHPR40 motor proliferate on more road and gravel e-bikes, including the recently announced E-ASTR from Ridely.
Ridley’s new E‑ASTR brings lightweight electric assistance to its already impressive ASTR gravel platform, powered by the cutting-edge TQ HPR40 mid-drive system. Unlike bulkier e‑bike setups, this system adds just 1.17 kg (2.6 lb) at the crank and a discreet 1.46 kg (3.2 lb) and 290 Wh battery hidden within the downtube, keeping the frame’s silhouette nearly identical to the non-electric version of the same bike. According to BikeRumor, riders looking closely might spot only a slightly fatter downtube, internal cable routing, and a handlebar-end LED indicator, giving visual clues without shouting “electric bike.”
What the E‑ASTR gives up in sheer power from the petite motor, it gains in ride feel. The HPR40 is said to deliver a modest 40 Nm of torque and up to 200W of assist, or enough to smooth out climbs or offer a tailwind on gravel without overpowering the rider. With support cut off at 25 km/h (15.5 mph), pedal responsiveness remains natural and fluid. Combined with the ASTR’s race-inspired geometry, the bike looks to offer sharp handling and comfort suited to the rigors of modern gravel routes.
Ridley is currently offering the E‑ASTR in three spec levels: a value SRAM Apex XPLR AXS build €7,199 (or approximately US $8,500), a mid-range SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 1×13 version for €8,199 (or approximately US $9,700), and a top-tier Shimano GRX 2×12 Di2 model for €8,899 (or approximately US $10,500). Each features high-end drivetrains, integrated cockpit options, carbon wheels, and industry-standard gravel brakes and tires. With its race-ready frame and stealthy, lightweight e‑assistance, the E‑ASTR is positioning itself as a high-performance gravel machine that stays true to its roots, delivering help when needed, without overshadowing the rider.
Ultra-lightweight motors like the TQHPR40 are quietly reshaping the e-bike industry by making electric assistance almost invisible, both in looks and in feel. As systems shrink and integrate more seamlessly into traditional bike frames, they’re opening the door to new categories of performance-oriented e-bikes that preserve the ride dynamics of analog bikes while offering just enough support when it counts.
For riders who value a natural pedaling experience but still want a little help on climbs or longer days, and especially for aging riders who want to maintain their riding habits despite father time taking an impact on joints and muscles, these minimalist systems are proving that you don’t need a bulky battery or a massive motor to get the benefits of going electric. The result is a wave of stealthy, high-performance e-bikes that are less about replacing effort and more about enhancing the ride.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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