A pioneering factory producing flying cars commenced construction on Sunday in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong in south China.
The manufacturing base, commissioned by Xpeng Aeroht, an affiliate of the electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG, is hailed as "the world's first mass-production facility for flying cars."
As detailed on its official website, the flying car consists of two parts: the ground module and the air module. The ground module carries the air module, and the two modules can automatically separate and combine. Additionally, the ground module is capable of recharging the air module.
The first phase of the factory, covering an area of 180,000 square meters, is dedicated to producing the air module for the modular flying car named "Land Aircraft Carrier," with a designed annual production capacity of 10,000 units, according to the company.
"Upon completion, this factory will featur several significant advantages: first, controllable costs; second, high efficiency; and third, consistency in production quality. This means that all production are under our control and ensures we deliver more cost-effective products to our customers," said Qiu Mingquan, vice president of the Xpeng Aeroht.
The "Land Aircraft Carrier," which completed its manned test flight in September, is scheduled to start pre-sales by the end of the year and the price is set at around 2 million yuan (some 280,520 U.S. dollars) , according to Xpeng Aeroht.
The vehicle's maiden public flight is scheduled for early November at the Zhuhai Airshow, and more derivative products are also anticipated, such as long-range, high-speed eVTOL aircraft that can address urban and intercity air traffic challenges.
Beyond personal use, the modular flying car has the potential for public services, including emergency rescue and sightseeing tours.
"In the past, aircraft used to be hard to operate, when you had to spend 20 or 30 hours or even longer to learn it. But with our product, you can handle it in just five minutes and become a know-how in three hours, as its single-stick control changes all the traditional operating logics for aircraft. Even if you don't know how to operate it, the vehicle can fly automatically," Qiu said.
Guangzhou is among a growing number of Chinese cities eager to tap into the burgeoning low-altitude economy. Its Huangpu District is home to more than 50 enterprises dedicated to this sector, encompassing research and development, manufacturing and application, officials said.
Flying car factory breaks ground in Guangzhou
China and Japan should work together to promote stable, lasting bilateral relations, and to uphold regional and international peace and stability, said China's top diplomat Wang Yi in a video speech at the 20th Beijing-Tokyo Forum on Wednesday.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, noted that China and Japan have an exchange history of more than 2,000 years, and that it has been over 50 years since the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
A China-Japan relationship with the right development direction is not only of great and positive significance to both countries and their peoples, but also to the peace and development of the region and the world, he said. Both sides should be guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to the original aspirations of relations, follow the right path, seek common ground, and coordinate actions, all with the aim of promoting stable, lasting bilateral relations, he said. Noting that the two sides should understand the correct positioning of bilateral relations, Wang said China has always regarded Japan as an important cooperation partner, and hopes that Japan can view China's development objectively and rationally.
It is hoped that Japan will work with China to follow the correct positioning of the comprehensive advancement of the strategic, mutually beneficial relations between China and Japan, and implement the important consensus that the two countries should be cooperative partners and should not pose a threat to each other, he said.
The two sides should maintain the political foundations of bilateral relations. The four political documents between China and Japan have laid the political and legal foundations for bilateral relations, and they should not be blurred, retrogressed or undermined, Wang said.
China and Japan need to promote an open strategy of mutual benefits. Both sides should cherish their cooperation space and common interests that have already been established, and work together to maintain the stability and smooth operations of the global free trade system and industrial and supply chains, he said. Wang also called on the two countries to uphold regional and international peace and stability. In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China and Japan need to work in tandem to safeguard Asian unity and cooperation to prevent external forces from fomenting confrontation, he said.
It is hoped that the Beijing-Tokyo Forum will continue to promote candid exchange, build consensus, provide suggestions for China-Japan relations, and make new contributions to the development of China-Japan relations that meet the requirements of the new era, he said.
Launched in 2005, the Beijing-Tokyo Forum is an annual event held alternately in Beijing and Tokyo. The forum is a high-level, large-scale, interactive exchange platform between the two countries.
China's top diplomat calls for joint efforts to promote stable, lasting China-Japan ties
