Xpeng's Land Carrier Gets Green Light - Certification Next

Let's talk about the latest contraption to come from the fever dreams of the electric car set - XPeng's "Land Carrier." XPeng calls it a flying car – I say they play fast and loose with the definition of a word “car” - but there’s no taking it away from them, it’s a one heck of an ambitious thing.

So here's the deal with the Land Carrier – it's almost like those transforming robots we used to play with, you know, the ones that could switch from a robot to a dump truck and back again (in our imaginations, of course). You've got one part that's a vaguely car-esque thing and another part that sprouts rotors and wings. They click together, transforming into what looks like a fairly capable off-road transporter whenever needed, and a two-seater eVTOL for when the road truly ends.

Anyway, XPeng is a Chinese electric car outfit, and it seems they're excited because the Chinese version of the FAA has given them the official thumbs-up to start the certification process for the flying part of their contraption. This might sound promising, but let's be real here - just because you can get a machine in the air doesn't mean it should be. After all, I can throw a brick into the air, but that doesn't make it airworthy.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for innovation. If somebody cracks the flying car problem and it becomes like buying hot dogs at a baseball game, well, that'll be the day. But let's take a quick gander at what Xpeng's actually offering here. The 7-year-old dreamer that I once was (and never grew up if you ask anyone) has his eyes wide open in pure amazement and wants to know more.

The flying part of this two-piece jigsaw puzzle uses all those high-falutin' buzzwords like "distributed electric propulsion" that essentially means they've slapped a bunch of electric motors and rotors on a metal frame. Apparently, they can get it up to a blistering 80 mph (129 km/h) with a range of around 220 miles (354 km) on battery. At least on paper it sounds really promising - clearly it’s not yet another lawnmower with wings. The panoramic bubble cockpit for two will definitely offer amazing perspective, and the whole idea of exploring places we can’t usually get to, wakes up the inner Indiana Jones in me. 

The land bit, the "intelligent driver cabin," is a bit more conventional. It's your standard EV fare: four or five seats, electric motors, range-extender for charging the flying bit, and 6x6 all-wheel drive powertrain which sounds more like something out of a Mad Max movie than your daily commute. It's all very post-apocalyptic chic, and hey, why not prepare for the worst while you're dreaming big, right?

As for price – well, that's where it gets really interesting. The vice president of XPeng, Tan Wang, claims the whole contraption - the 6x6 transporter and the flying appendage - will cost around $200,000. Now, by no means this is a chop change, but seriously - consider what you are getting here. Heck - it’s less than Lucid Air Sapphire and although nowhere near as quick, the Land Carrier has its own thing going on. I can just imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger getting one - so much better than the Humvee (although I do like the Humvee a lot). We'll probably see these Land Carriers buzzing over the gated communities of the super-rich before the rest of us even get a sniff.

So, what's the verdict on XPeng's Land Carrier? Let's call it "cautiously intrigued, verging on amused." I'm always excited by new transportation tech, however zany. But this flying car thing has been a pipe dream since Doc Brown bolted a flux capacitor to a DeLorean. Until they figure out how to make them safe, practical, affordable, and not totally ridiculous, I'll be keeping my feet firmly on the ground, thank you very much. But once I see other people taking them out for a spot of flying - and coming back safely - I will definitely be itching to try one out.