BYD's New SUV Gets A Built-In Drone Hangar

BYD, the Chinese auto giant, has announced an unusual new feature for its Yangwang U8 luxury off-roader, which is aimed at drone enthusiasts.

During its Dream Day event, BYD unveiled the YangWang U8 hybrid SUV, which is equipped with a drone system mounted on the roof of the vehicle. To design this SUV with drone technology, BYD collaborated with none other than DJI.

Although it may seem new, Polestar outperformed BYD when it unveiled its O2 concept, which included a drone integrated into an EV. Since then, the Swedish EV manufacturer has expanded on its idea to create the Polestar 6, although it appears that the drone was left out of the finished model.
That gives BYD ample opportunity to become the first company to mass produce an electric vehicle (EV) equipped with a drone, even though it may not seem necessary.

Within the rooftop compartment are three extra batteries and a modified DJI Mavic drone. Before releasing the drone into the wild, the mechanism even charges its battery. 

As seen in some leaked photos, the DJI drone can be controlled with a custom controller without a screen once it takes off. This is because the infotainment center of the YangWang U8 comes equipped with a counterpart to DJI's Fly app. 

Once you've finished shooting all those epic action shots and b-roll of your SUV cruising through the countryside, you can set DJI Return to Home to make it return to the YangWang U8's rooftop dock on its own.

But the YangWang U8 doesn't include the drone as standard. Pricing for the trim that comes with the customized DJI has not yet been disclosed by BYD.