XPeng AeroHT X3 (technology demonstrator)
/XPeng AeroHT X3 technology demonstrator/XPeng-AeroHT-X3-prototype-flying-front.jpg "XPeng AeroHT two passenger X3 eVTOL and roadable technology demonstrator maiden flight October 2022")
X3 (technology demonstrator)
XPeng AeroHT
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
www.aeroht.com
With funding from XPeng Motors, XPeng AeroHT was founded in 2020 as one of its subdivisions and is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. XPeng AeroHT is in the business of designing and manufacturing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company was originally founded as Heitech in 2013 by Zhao Deli in Dongguan, Guangdong, China and was later purchased by XPeng Motors. He Xiaopeng is the Chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors and the Chairman of XPeng AeroHT. Zhao Deli is currently the president of XPeng AeroHT, Wang Tan is the co-founder, vice president and chief designer of XPeng AeroHT and Zheng Congwei is the vice president of XPeng AeroHT. (Image credit: XPeng AeroHT)
XPeng Motors was founded in 2014 by He Xiaopeng, Henry Xia and He Tao and is a leading Chinese all-electric vehicle and technology company that designs, develops and manufactures intelligent automobiles that are seamlessly integrated with the Internet and utilize the latest advances in artificial intelligence. The company's headquarters are located in Guangzhou, China.
The company's manufacturing philosophy centers around quality, continuous improvement, flexibility and high operating efficiency. XPeng's goal is to make smart electric vehicles with technology and data, and shape the consumer mobility experience of the future. XPeng went public in the U.S. in August 2020 and has completed a dual-primary listing in Hong Kong.
When Zhao Deli was very young, he always liked electronics, science and had the dream to fly. In 2008, Zhao by chance, saw a group of people flying remote-controlled model aircraft which sparked his interest in flying again. He began to work on, study and learn to make model aircraft, including drones and helicopters and learned how to make them fly.
After making electric drones for several years (including a hybrid-electric drone), Deli started his own company in 2010 to sell drones. The company created five different drone models to manufacture and sell. Then around 2016, Deli read about a hover surfboard from Canada, this information was the catalyst to for him to begin building an eVTOL hoverbike for one passenger.
He started out funding himself with his own money, by selling his home and borrowing money from friends. He then attracted investors to keep his research going. After his drone company went bankrupt, Deli attracted an investment of $2.8 million (USD), all from Chinese venture capitalists and XPeng AeroHT was formed. Before XPeng AeroHT was formed, Deli's two previous and now defunct eVTOL companies were named GroundAero and Heitech Aeronautics & Astronautics.
It was reported in Car News China on June 3, 2022 that XPeng AeroHT has made an unnamed new flying car which we now know is called the X3 and is a prototype flying and roadable car. The information was revealed to the world due to XPeng AeroHT's Chinese patent applications. The hybrid-electric VTOL flying and road legal vehicle is a sixth generation flying car. On June 25, 2022, it was reported that the company was doing secret test runs on Chongqing roads (a municipality of southwest China).
X3 passenger eVTOL full-scale technology demonstrator flying car
XPeng AeroHT has created the X3, a two passenger eVTOL and roadable full-scale technology demonstrator. It is unknown if the vehicle can be both piloted or flown remotely. The windshield is clear but the side windows are covered over with some type of covering and are opaque. When the technology demonstrator was revealed to the public, virtually no information about its specifications such as cruise speed, range or flight time.
/XPeng AeroHT X3 technology demonstrator/XPeng-AeroHT-X3-computer-control-maiden-flight.jpg "The X3 computer screen shows the aircraft is being remotely piloted on its maiden flight on October 11, 2022. The computer screen also shows the numbering system for the propellers. (Image credit: XPeng AeroHT)")
The propellers are numbered this way, from a top view (or an aerial view) with the car facing forward:
- Propeller 1: Top front right
- Propeller 2: Top front left
- Propeller 3: Top rear left
- Propeller 4: Top rear right
- Propeller: 5: Bottom front left
- Propeller 6: Bottom front right
- Propeller 7: Bottom rear right
- Propeller 8: Bottom rear left
The X3 technology demonstrator has eight propellers on four booms, each propeller is stacked with two propellers at the end of each boom. From the looks of the car size, the propellers are very long, possibly six feet (183 cm) to seven feet (213 cm) in length each. There are eight electric motors for the propellers all powered by battery packs. There are secure open-framed multicopter assembly support beams located in the front of the car (just behind the windshield and to the very rear of the car. There is one center beam parallel to the car's length with Y beams at both ends providing structural strength for the front and rear propeller assembly frames. The booms are stationary and do not retract on the technology demonstrator. The X3 technology demonstrator has four road tires and either two or four wheels are powered by electric motors.
The test flight video on October 11, 2022, shows the X3 technology demonstrator driving out of a garage and the first test performed is weighing in the car with its with battery packs installed and without passengers at 1,936 kg (4,268 lb). The first test flight was remote controlled because it is possible to see on the computer screen that the Mode of flight is "RC enabled", meaning remote controlled enabled flight. The maiden flight included a successful takeoff, low hover flight test, forward flight of over five meters, landing and possibly more. XPeng AeroHT has stated it's also performed multiple single-propeller failure tests successfully.
Street legal electric vehicles (EV) need to pass rigorous crash tests just as any other internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars need to pass. For an electric VTOL and roadable car, the vehicle will need a road powertrain, suspension, brakes, car wheels, steering wheel, accelerator, brake pedals, instrument panel and more. And complete set of equipment and instruments for flight. So it will be an incredible accomplishment for XPeng AeroHT when the first eVTOL Flying Car production model rolls off the assembly line.
/XPeng AeroHT X3 technology demonstrator/Xpeng-AeroHT-X3-maiden-flight-October2022.png "X3 eVTOL and roadable technology demonstrator maiden flight October 2022 (Image credit: XPeng AeroHT)")
/XPeng AeroHT X3 technology demonstrator/XPeng-AeroHT-X3-prototype-low-hover.jpg "X3 eVTOL and roadable technology demonstrator in low hover (Image credit: XPeng AeroHT)")
/XPeng AeroHT X3 technology demonstrator/XPeng-AeroHT-X3-flying-5-meters-high-side.jpg
"X3 eVTOL and roadable technology demonstrator in flight (Image credit: XPeng AeroHT)")
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL aircraft and roadable technology demonstrator vehicle
- Piloting: Remotely piloted
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Cruise speed: Unknown
- Empty weight (with battery packs and no passengers): 1,936 kg (4,268 lb)
- Propellers: 8 propellers (stacked, 2 propellers per stack)
- Electric motors: 8 electric motors for the propellers (Possibly 2 or 4 electric motors for the automobile tires)
- Power source: Battery packs
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
- Windows: Windows typical of an automobile
- Landing gear: Four automobile wheels
- Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.
Related Aircraft:
- GroundAero Sport Utility Aircraft (defunct)
- XPeng AeroHT Air F1 (defunct)
- XPeng AeroHT Cruiser (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT eVTOL Flying Car (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT Flying Car (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT Magic Cloud (defunct)
- XPeng AeroHT Modular Flying Car (production model)
- XPeng AeroHT Skimmer (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT Snow Flyer (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT Sport (concept design)
- XPeng AeroHT T1 (production model)
- XPeng AeroHT Tilt-Wing (technology demonstrator)
- XPeng AeroHT Voyager X1 (production model)
- XPeng AeroHT Voyager X2 (production model)
- XPeng AeroHT X3 (concept design)
- Xpeng AeroHT X5 (concept design)
Company Insights:
Resources:
- XPeng AeroHT website
- XPeng AeroHT Facebook
- XPeng AeroHT Twitter
- XPeng AeroHT YouTube
- XPeng AeroHT TikTok
- XPeng AeroHT Pinterest
- XPeng AeroHT Instagram
- XPeng AeroHT LinkedIn
- XPeng Motors website
- XPeng Motors Facebook
- XPeng Motors Twitter
- XPeng Motors YouTube Channel
- XPeng Motors LinkedIn
- Article: XPeng New Flying Car Patent Images Leaked, Car News China, June 3, 2022
- Article: It Is Real! XPeng Tests Flying Car On Roads In China, Car News China, June 25, 2022
- Article: XPeng AeroHT Completes ‘Flying Car’ Trial Factory in China, Car News China, July 25, 2022
- Video: Flying Car Test Vehicle Made Its Maiden Flight Successfully, XPeng AeroHT, Oct. 24, 2022
- Video: Latest XPENG AEROHT Flying Car Is Unveiled, XPeng AeroHT, Oct. 24, 2022
- Article: They're serious: XPeng tests two-ton eVTOL flying car prototype, New Atlas, Nov. 1, 2022
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