Watch Video: Beijing Announces “Ambitious eVTOL Route Plans and XPENG Flight Trials”
Xpeng Aeroht posted a video on ‘X’ this week of its first flight demonstrations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of the X2 eVTOL during the ‘Langfang International Economic and Trade Fair’. The trials are part of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology’s Draft released in May, entitled Action Plan for Promoting High-quality Development of Low-Altitude Economy Industries in Beijing (2024–2027).
Poster Kepler Digitals wrote, “Exciting milestone for XPENG Aeroht with their flying car’s inaugural flight near Beijing. Innovation in aerial mobility is advancing swiftly, paving the way for new possibilities in transportation technology.”
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This Draft aims to establish Beijing as a hub for innovation in the low-altitude economy. It explores new business models for eVTOLs, including intercity commuting and inner-city shuttle services. Only a few months ago, Xiao Peng, CEO of Xpeng CEO had been in Beijing pitching his vision for flying vehicles to the National Congress.
The Xpeng X2, known as Voyager 2 when originally launched, is more of a drone-type vehicle than a car. It features a two-seater design constructed mainly from carbon materials. The X2 measures 16.9 ft in length, 16.8 ft in width, and 4.5 ft in height, with a curb weight of 1,500 lbs and a maximum payload of 353 lbs. Unlike many consumer drones with four rotors, the X2 is an octocopter, providing extra thrust and redundancy. In case of motor failure, a built-in parachute ensures safety.
With a flight endurance of 25 minutes, the X2 has undergone nearly 4,000 test flights and has been tested in various scenarios, including urban areas, sea regions and deserts. AeroHT plans to offer an extended-range option for the mass-produced version, presumably with a larger battery, to hit the market in the next few years. However, Xpeng will first produce the Land Carrier, which consists of a drone-type car and transport vehicle, in 2025.
X2 eVTOL ‘Wowing’ a Beijing Crowd
Meanwhile, according to Beijing’s Low Altitude Action Plan, the city is to open “over three low-altitude air routes connecting the downtown with its surrounding areas. These will support over ten new applications including emergency rescue, logistic distribution, air shuttling, inter-city commuting and characteristic cultural tourism.”
It goes on, “This initiative will help establish a largely-completed networked infrastructure system and an application ecosystem for the low-altitude economy.”
These plans also cover emergency rescue where present construction of the Fangshan base is to be accelerated. This base will promote the use of general aviation for citywide emergency communication, firefighting, patrol and inspection.
For logistic distribution, Beijing will use Badaling Airport in Yanqing District as a hub to open air routes including the northwest logistics branch line. A new distribution model combining drones and buses will also be developed.
The Draft continues, “For inter-city commuting, air routes will be established between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Xiong’an New Area, as well as between Beijing Capital International Airport and Tianjin, Langfang, and other areas to facilitate commuting.” Meanwhile, low-altitude tourism and flight experience programs will be developed in Yanqing, Pinggu, Miyun and other districts.
The Draft concludes, “To strengthen the competitiveness of the entire low-altitude manufacturing industry chain, Beijing will support the research and manufacturing of advanced air mobility. This includes encouraging districts to introduce and develop advanced aircraft manufacturing programs for drones and eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles, and fostering the development of core components and materials like engines. By 2027, Beijing aims to cultivate 10 leading enterprises, each with a business size of more than CNY 1 billion, 50 core supporting enterprises in the industry chain, each with a business size of more than CNY 100 million, and 100 technology service enterprises of similar scales.”
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(News Source: https://english.beijing.gov.cn/ https://carnewschina.com)
(Top image: Xpeng)
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