Flying Cars: From Science Fiction to Reality
Date：2025-03-13
In the current era of rapid technological development, the automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented transformations. In recent years, a remarkable phenomenon has emerged: major automotive companies have all delved into the field of flying cars. All of a sudden, flying cars have gradually transitioned from the realm of imagination in science fiction works to the real-life stage.
At the end of last year, the split-type flying car "Land Carrier" of XPeng Aeroht made a public flight in Shanghai. Its unique design and powerful functions attracted a great deal of attention. This flying car adopts a configuration of three axles and six wheels. The land travel body is like a lunar exploration vehicle and is equipped with an extended-range power system. The flying body has an electric six-rotor dual-duct configuration. The main body structure of the fuselage and the propeller blades are made of carbon fiber materials, which take into account both high strength and light weight. The machine arms and propeller blades can all be folded, and the 270° panoramic cockpit provides users with a wide flight view. Since its maiden flight, it has received nearly 4,000 orders, and it is expected that the first batch of deliveries will be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
Almost at the same time, GAC Group launched the GOVY AirJet, a flying car designed to meet the demand for medium and short - distance trips within 200 kilometers. It has a unique shape. Inside the cockpit, there are comfortable seats and a flexible 1 + 1 + X layout. It is equipped with an electric drive system independently developed by GAC. Its torque density is 200% higher than that of electric vehicles. It adopts lightweight battery pack integration technology, with an 80% increase in integration, and the range can be increased by 200km. In addition, GAC Gaoyu has also introduced the GOVY AirCar, which is more like a "flying car" and mainly caters to the demand for short - distance trips within 20 kilometers. Currently, it has initiated airworthiness certification and is expected to start accepting reservations within this year.
In addition to the above domestic automotive companies, foreign automotive giants have also long been making arrangements in the field of flying cars. Although Tesla has been cautious about flying cars in public, Alef Aeronautics, in which Tesla has invested, has quietly completed the flight test of its flying car. On February 19, the Model A of Alef Aeronautics successfully completed a flight test in an urban environment. Its CEO personally tested the prototype vehicle on a remote public road in the United States and successfully completed actions such as vertical takeoff and landing and flying over obstacles. This flying car can not only drive on urban roads but also take to the sky. When fully charged, it can fly horizontally for 177 kilometers and travel on the ground for 322 kilometers. It is priced at 300,000 US dollars (approximately 2.179 million yuan). Currently, it has received 3,300 orders and plans to start production and make the first batch of deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year.
The electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL "flying car") jointly developed by Toyota Motor Corporation and the electric flying car startup Joby Aviation conducted its first test flight in Japan, with a flying speed of up to 205 miles per hour (approximately 330 kilometers per hour). Toyota has also decided to invest $500 million in Joby to support cooperation in its certification and commercial production. Supernal, the flying car company under the Hyundai Motor Group, launched the eVTOL concept product S-A2 at CES 2024 and plans to roll out a commercial advanced air mobility business in 2028. In addition, multinational automotive companies such as Volkswagen, Audi, General Motors, and Porsche have all been involved in the research and development exploration of flying cars to varying degrees.
In 2024, the "low - altitude economy" was written into the government work report for the first time during the Two Sessions of the National People's Congress, emphasizing its importance as a new growth engine. Since then, local governments have successively introduced relevant policies to promote the development of the low - altitude economy. According to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, it is estimated that the scale of China's low - altitude economy will reach 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and 3.5 trillion yuan in 2035. Morgan Stanley predicts that the global flying car market will reach $9 trillion in 2050, and the potential market size in China will reach $2.1 trillion. Policy support provides a favorable environment for the development of flying cars, covering aspects such as research and development, production, and operation. For example, the "Implementation Plan for the Innovation and Application of General Aviation Equipment (2024 - 2030)" proposes the goal of promoting the low - altitude economy to form a market scale of trillions of yuan by 2030.
With the continuous development of electrification and intelligent technologies, the research and development of flying cars have become possible. In terms of power, the progress in battery technology enables flying cars to obtain a more efficient and long - lasting energy supply. For example, some flying cars use high - energy - density batteries, which improves their range. In the aspect of intelligent driving, advanced sensors, algorithms, and communication technologies endow flying cars with functions such as automatic navigation and obstacle avoidance, greatly enhancing flight safety and controllability. At the same time, the development of materials science has brought more lightweight and high - strength materials for flying cars, which helps to reduce the vehicle's weight and improve flight performance.