Southeast university unveils China’s first Electric-Driven flying car that combines the functionality of ground mobility and aerial movement capabilities.
China’s inaugural distributed electric-driven flying car, the Kunpeng No.1, was developed and revealed by a research team from Southeast University in Jiangsu Province, East China. The vehicle boasts full steering and all-wheel drive functions, as outlined in a press release shared with the Global Times by the university on Thursday.
The Kunpeng No.1 is equipped with four coaxial rotors. Yin Guodong, the project’s leader and a professor at the university’s School of Mechanical Engineering, stated that the research aims to explore new forms of transportation for the future and support the growth of the low-altitude economy.
Unlike conventional electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the Kunpeng No.1 is an integrated land-air vehicle that combines the functionality of ground mobility with aerial movement capabilities, as explained by the university.
Yin explained, “This is the first flying car in China to use distributed electric drive technology, with the vehicle’s design focused on being a car rather than relying on drone technology. This allows seamless transitions between driving on the road and flying in the air.”
With a maximum take-off weight of 500 kilograms, the Kunpeng No.1 can stay in flight for at least 20 minutes and reach altitudes over 300 meters. On the ground, it can travel up to 60 kilometers per hour, according to the university.
Currently, the vehicle operates using a high-capacity power battery. The research team is also working on extending flight times, aiming for over two hours in future versions of the flying car, as stated by the university.
The flying car is an example of multidisciplinary innovation, combining expertise from mechanical engineering, vehicle design, electrical systems, and control sciences, among other fields.
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