The company has already received over 7,000 orders for the flying car, most of them in China, where it is working to obtain approvals from aviation authorities. At the same time, Xpeng will begin testing driverless taxis (robotaxis) in the city of Guangzhou this year, with the goal of producing thousands of such units in the next year and a half.
On the business front, the company is strengthening its cooperation with Germany's Volkswagen, which has already begun producing its first electric model developed together with the Chinese. Gu noted that the company is open to additional partnerships with global automakers to become a significant global player.
Xpeng currently operates in about 60 countries outside China, and its revenue from the international market is about 15%. The company's ambition is that within a decade, more than half of its revenue will come from sales outside China, with the robotics sector expected to overtake the automotive sector in profitability.
The company conducted a first-of-its-kind successful test in an urban environment on a closed public street, with the vehicle demonstrating normal road driving and vertical takeoff. In the video documenting the test, the car is seen traveling several meters, taking off vertically, hovering over another vehicle, landing, and continuing its journey.
Most of the flying taxis under development look like futuristic helicopters and can typically carry about five people. One such vehicle has been under development in Israel for several years and is attracting interest around the world. However, experts say there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as infrastructure and safety.
