China’s Flying Van-Plane Lands In Europe

Chinese national flag waving on a flagpole — Photo: Lensw0rId / Shutterstock

China’s XPeng just rolled a flying car onto German soil — and it’s not a concept, it’s a vehicle with thousands of real orders and a factory already being built.

Story Snapshot

XPeng AeroHT debuted its “Land Aircraft Carrier” flying car in Germany — the company’s first major product launch outside China.
The vehicle combines a six-wheeled electric van with a detachable two-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft on the back.
China’s civil aviation regulator has accepted both the design certification and production certification applications for the flying module.
The company reports over 7,000 global pre-orders, with early deliveries targeted for 2026 and full-scale production in 2027.

China Brings Its Flying Car to Europe

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng chose Germany for the first major overseas debut of its “Land Aircraft Carrier” flying car. The vehicle is built by XPeng’s flying car division, now rebranded as ARIDGE. Germany is one of the world’s top auto markets, making it a bold statement of intent. The debut signals that China’s flying car industry is no longer just targeting domestic buyers — it’s going global.

The Land Aircraft Carrier is a modular system. A six-wheeled road vehicle carries a two-seat electric aircraft on its back. The aircraft can detach, take off vertically, fly, and land — then reattach to the ground vehicle. XPeng says the road portion can be driven with a standard Chinese driver’s license, making it accessible to everyday consumers rather than just pilots.

Certification Progress and Order Numbers

China’s Civil Aviation Administration accepted the design certification application for the flying module — codenamed X3-F — in March 2024. Then in May 2025, the same agency accepted the production certification application for the flying body. These are key regulatory steps, but they are not final approvals. Full certification is still in progress as the company works toward mass production.

XPeng AeroHT reports more than 7,000 global pre-orders for the Land Aircraft Carrier. The company completed a public manned flight in Dubai in October 2025, which generated 600 orders from the Middle East alone. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2025, the vehicle drew significant attention and added to the order count. These numbers show real consumer interest, though pre-orders are not the same as completed sales.

Delivery Timeline and What Comes Next

XPeng originally planned to start deliveries in 2025. That date slipped to 2026 as the company worked to finish its mass-production facility. The current plan calls for early deliveries in the second half of 2026, with full-scale production starting in 2027. Wang Tan, co-founder and chief designer of XPeng AeroHT, confirmed the 2026 delivery target at a technology expo in May 2025.

Chinese electric vehicle maker #Xpeng has chosen #Germany for its first major product launch outside #China, unveiling a four‑model flying car lineup under its sub‑brand #AeroHT. At an event in #Munich, the company showcased its "Land Aircraft Carrier", a vehicle designed not to… pic.twitter.com/BS6NWZhh6k

— ShanghaiEye🚀official (@ShanghaiEye) July 18, 2026

The flying car sector has a history of delays. Companies often announce big milestones and order books years before regulators give final approval. EHang, another Chinese firm, received full type certification in October 2023 but has not yet launched regular commercial passenger routes as of mid-2025. XPeng still needs final airworthiness approval before any customer can fly the Land Aircraft Carrier legally. That said, China’s government has made the “low-altitude economy” — which includes flying cars — a national priority, which could help speed up approvals. Whether XPeng delivers on its 2026 promise is the key question to watch.