Manned drone, builder XP says 'flying car'

 

The Chinese are also investing in flying car technology. As a long-term institutional strategy, Alibaba-backed carmaker Xpang wants to be self-sufficient in such technology.

The company unveiled the first series of its electric cars at the Beijing Auto Show on Saturday. They said work is underway to make such a car.

The flying car model shown by Xpang has eight propellers, and a capsule-like frame. According to a CNBC report, the car looks like a human drone, not a conventional car.

The model of the flying car was originally made by Expand Hi-Tech Technology Unit. Xpang owns most of the ownership of the unit, and He Xiaoping is the company's chief executive.

Xpang Hi-Tech Technology Unit is part of the company's long-term research and development, Xpang said in a press release. The company also said that its core business and development strategy will remain unchanged. The company has predicted that profit will come through research on accuracy and mapping technology.

The whole project has not yet crossed the ‘concept’ stage. Xpang claims that once built, the flying car will be able to fly at an altitude of five meters (18.4 feet) to 25 meters (62 feet) with two passengers.

Xpang added that they will evaluate the feasibility before investing enough.

"It's a lot of long-term research and development for us, which will make us think about dynamics in a bigger context." - says Brian Gu, vice chairman and president of Xpang.

"Our idea is that in the future, electric cars will not only have 'smart mobility' self-driving features, but they will also have more technology. Will enable other devices to create a multidimensional ecosystem. The subject will be very exciting. That's why we're investing in this sector, and we're researching. " - Added Gu.

 The policy is by far the biggest hurdle for manned drones and self-propelled vehicles.

At the end of last month, Toyota-backed SkyDrive completed an "experimental flight" of its flying car, the SD-03. The company hopes to get approval to run 'SD-03' outside the test field by the end of this year. They have set a target of building two-seater commercial vehicles by 2023.