- Xpeng wants to sell 10,000 models of its new "land aircraft carrier" a year, starting in 2025.
- The vehicle is a six-wheeled van with a quadcopter drone that can fit two people.
- The firm performed the vehicle's first public flight on Tuesday at the Zhuhai Air Show.
Chinese EV maker Xpeng gave the public a first glimpse of its new "land aircraft carrier" in action on Tuesday, marking another step toward its ambition to bring flying vehicles to the mass market.
The Tesla rival is offering a six-wheeled van with a two-man quadcopter stored in its rear for 2 million yuan, or about $276,000.
Videos released by the firm's flying vehicle arm, Xpeng Huitian, showed the quadcopter automatically sliding out of the main vehicle and deploying. Another clip showed the van reversing to allow the quadcopter back in.
Xpeng demonstrated the quadcopter in an uncrewed flight in front of a crowd at the Zhuhai Air Show, an annual Chinese aviation conference backed by the central government.
The company said on Thursday that it received 2,000 orders at the air show after the demonstration, touting it as "the largest order volume in the global flying car industry to date."
Orders will be open to the public in December, Xpeng Huitian added.
It's already targeting a far larger tranche of orders, with state media reporting that the company plans to build an annual production capacity of 10,000 "land aircraft carriers" by the third quarter of 2025.
Deliveries are set to begin in 2026, state media also reported.
Xpeng is among a swathe of Chinese manufacturers to emerge in a crowded EV market over the last decade but has become one of the country's highest-profile stalwarts.
The Guangzhou-based firm, founded by engineer Henry Xia, has been leaning into extended-range hybrid engine technology to lower the cost of its vehicles and boost profit.
In August, it debuted a car with self-driving tech at $22,000, undercutting other brands like Xiaomi, BYD, and Tesla.
Meanwhile, it's been pushing hard to sell flying technology to the consumer market. Xpeng Huitian is also working on a two-person flying electric vehicle that features vertical take-off and landing.
Xpeng did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.