Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Chinese firm tests electric flying taxi in Dubai

A Chinese firm tested out an electric flying taxi in Dubai on Monday, offering a glimpse of futuristic technology that could one day whisk people through cities high above any land traffic.

The XPeng X2, developed by the Guangzhou-based XPeng Inc’s aviation affiliate, is one of dozens of flying-car projects around the world. Only a handful have been successfully tested with passengers on board, and it will likely be many years before any are put into service, Tech Xplore reports.

Monday’s demonstration was held with an empty cockpit, but the company says it carried out a manned flight test in July 2021.

The sleekly designed vehicle can carry two passengers and is powered by a set of eight propellers. The company says it has a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour.

Unlike airplanes and helicopters, eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles offer quick point-to-point personal travel, at least in principle.

But the sector still faces major challenges, including battery life, air traffic control and safety, and infrastructure issues.

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-10-chinese-firm-electric-taxi-dubai.html

spot_img

BIG Wrap

Ukraine says Druzhba pipeline running Russian oil to Europe can resume work

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a pipeline carrying Russian oil to Europe is ready to resume operations after being...

Japan loosens arms-export rules in break from post-WW2 pacifism

(BBC News) Japan has relaxed decades-old restrictions on its arms exports, clearing the way for it to sell weapons to more than a dozen...