When a body of water, such as a lake or sea, gets in the way of campers like those traveling in the Highwave Boaterhome or the Sealvans Amphibious Caravan, they have the option to deploy their seafaring campers. But Xpeng Motors takes this concept to new heights with its “Land Aircraft Carrier” modular flying car, quite literally.
The so-called “Land Aircraft Carrier” is the adventurer’s and explorer’s best friend, featuring a unique two-part design: a six-wheeled terrestrial vehicle (the ground module) and a multi-rotor VTOL (the modular flying car). It can seamlessly transition between land and air modes as needed.
While it’s ideal for adventurers and explorers, it could also prove invaluable for first responders, similar to the Red Cross Land Rover equipped with a drone. The difference is that this vehicle could be used to send first responders to the scene or to transport stranded victims in a disaster to safety.
This advanced vehicle can accommodate up to five passengers and is powered by an extended-range hybrid system that also charges the air module. The 6×6 ground vehicle boasts rear-wheel steering for enhanced maneuverability and has a futuristic design that draws inspiration from lunar exploration vehicles (though it is not clear which lunar vehicle it is referring to).
The air module can be operated manually or autonomously. It’s an all-electric aircraft with a distributed electric propulsion system which Xiaopeng HT Aero said meets “single-point failure safety requirements.” The drone is a two-person aircraft with a 270° panoramic field of view.
The deployment and re-engagement of the drone are fully automated, simplifying the operation. Deployment should be easy, but re-engaging the drone into the vehicle may require some alignment. It’s unclear whether this alignment is done manually, or if the land vehicle will drive itself to align with the landed drone, or if it will be a combination of both.
As of now, the “Land Aircraft Carrier” exists as renders and is still in development, but it’s evident that Xpeng HT Aero is committed to bringing this innovative concept to life. I guess the future is arriving soon… maybe? We will see.
Images: Xiaopeng HT Aero [CH].
