- Xpeng has received over 3,000 orders for the AeroHT, priced at $280,000 in China.
- Deliveries of the AeroHT will begin in 2026 from a new Guangzhou manufacturing site.
- The AeroHT combines a six-wheeled electric van and a detachable eVTOL aircraft.
If you need any more proof of just how innovative Chinese car manufacturers have become in recent years, look no further than Xpeng and its new AeroHT. The dramatic six-wheeled road-going “land aircraft carrier” was on display at CES and is the type of creation that’s inconceivable for a legacy carmaker even to envisage, let alone bring to production.
The Chinese company has been working on the AeroHT for the past couple of years and previewed it in production guise last September. It will be built at a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Guangzhou, China, that spans 180,000 square meters and will produce up to 10,000 units annually. Xpeng says it’s locked in over 3,000 orders for the AeroHT and plans to kick off deliveries in 2026.
Read: Xpeng’s Cybertruck-Like 6-Wheeler Costs $280,000 But Comes With Its Own Helicopter
Xpeng’s futuristic creation consists of two vehicles; the ground-based “mothership” and an electric verticle take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The “mothership” is a massive six-wheeler van with obvious design similarities to the Tesla Cybertruck. It’s approximately 5.5m (18 feet) long, 2m (6.6 feet) wide, and 2m tall. It has some weird and wacky design features, none more evident than the digital side mirrors that can retract into the front fenders when not used.
Looking at the AeroHT from the side, it looks like a lengthened minivan that’s taken a few too many growth hormones. There are no second-row side windows as the entire rear half of the six-wheeler is used as a loading bay for the eVTOL. In terms of power, it rocks an 800-volt electrical architecture and is an extender-range EV.
Xpeng hasn’t provided details about the combustion engine, the electric motors, or the battery pack, but does say it has a combined driving range of over 620 miles (1,000 km). It also serves as a module supercharging station for the eVTOL.
As for the aircraft, it features a small cockpit made from lightweight carbon fiber and has a six-rotor design with foldable propellers and arms. It can be driven manually or autonomously, and more than 200 units are currently being tested. Last year, the eVTOL received airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of Central and Southern China.
Prices for the AeroHT are expected to start at around 2 million yuan (~$272,000) in China. The carmaker hasn’t said if there are any plans to offer it in other markets.
