Chinese Startup’s US$140,000 Car Can Fly Over Traffic Congestion

The crowd of hundreds yelled in Mandarin as the gull-winged two-seater aircraft soared and hovered around 30 metres (100 feet) over their heads before descending gracefully. "Make us Chinese proud in Dubai!" exclaimed many of the more enthusiastic.

China's Xpeng Aeroht has conducted two public flights for its aircraft in recent months. In October, the firm sponsored by electric-vehicle maker Xpeng Inc. conducted a 90-second exercise near Dubai's renowned Palm Jumeirah island, followed by another in Guangzhou, China.

The wealthy creator of the EV firm, He Xiaopeng, and other backers are betting big that they can overcome regulatory difficulties and seize a piece of what has been described as a US$1 trillion (RM4.43 trillion) market that might revolutionise how we live.

Aeroht, which was created in 2013 by 45-year-old high-school dropout Zhao Deli, was the standout exhibitor at GITEX, one of Dubai's largest annual trade shows.

According to a research commissioned by Horizon Aircraft Inc. and published this month, most investors foresee firm closures and industry consolidation in the future years, even as orders progressively climb.

Vertical Aerospace Ltd. in the United Kingdom has had over 1,400 pre-orders for its aircraft, and Volkswagen AG in China showed its first eVTOL passenger drone prototype in July.