The Black Aircraft Carrier is a three-axle electric vehicle that looks like a cross between a minivan and a pickup truck and looks suspiciously like Tesla’s Cybertruck. It has a special compartment designed to accommodate a compact passenger aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing.

Is this thing actually going to hit the market?

It seems so. XPeng plans to start accepting orders for land-based aircraft carrier at the end of this year. The company plans to start production at the end of 2025, and the expected price of the machine is expected to be exceeded. $140,000.

Despite ambitious goals, the company admits there are still many challenges ahead, including obtaining a license from Chinese aviation regulators. The legal intricacies of operating a land-based aircraft carrier have not yet been completed. XPeng plans to invest significantly in customer training, hoping to attract enthusiasts interested in piloting such unconventional vehicles.

Flying car from XPeng

At the CES 2024 exhibition, XPeng also presented a prototype of a flying electric car in its body, the rotors and wings of which are hidden during movement on the ground. The company did not specify the launch date of this model in the Chinese market.

Flying car prototype / Photo: XPeng

Additionally, XPeng is aware of the lack of ready-made solutions for the “small aviation” industry and plans to create batteries and control systems tailored to the characteristics of this next generation electric aircraft.