Towards the end of the 1985 sci-fi classic “Back to the Future,” the archetypal mad inventor Doc Brown announces “where we’re going, we don’t need roads” as the time-travelling DeLorean lifts into the air. Whilst flying cars aren’t yet filling our skies, a number are in development. Last week the Chinese XPeng X2 successfully completed the first public test flight of its two-seater flying car at GITEX technology expo in Dubai — and it even shares the DeLorean’s famous gull-wing door design.
The XPeng X2 lifts vertically off the ground using eight propellers, without need for a runway and is therefore suitable for built-up urban areas. The vehicle, designed to carry two passengers, is fully electric and its makers say it can rise through the air at around two meters per second and reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.
Although the test flight lasted just 90 seconds, according to Liu Xinyin, chief aviation specialist at XPeng Aeroht, the technology is close to being ready for public use, but regulations around flying cars are still some way off.
XPeng plans to work with governments to establish a physical regulatory infrastructure for flying cars in urban areas, and Liu believes that people will be able to use the flying cars within limited regulated spaces in just five years. This lines up pretty well with ambitious plans from the Chinese government to launch flying taxis by 2025 .