China’s EV upstart Xpeng ready to take off with flying permit

Xpeng, a Chinese electric vehicle startup, is preparing to launch its eVTOL into the air after receiving critical regulatory approval.

Aeroht, which is owned by Xpeng and Xpeng founder He Xiaopeng, recently received a special flight permit from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, China’s equivalent to the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. The authorization allows Aeroht’s X2 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft to fly under special conditions with a pilot. Aeroht says it will use the permit to conduct a series of manned flight tests in order to collect data for future mass production.