Chery Automobile Land and Air Vehicle (prototype)

(Photo credit: Chery Automobile)

Land and Air Vehicle (prototype)
Chery Automobile
Wuhu, Anhui, China
www.cheryinternational.com

The information provided here is as accurate as possible; however, eVTOL information from China is sometimes sparse, incomplete or conflicting. China is promoting what they call the "low-altitude economy" — a new push for general aviation — which includes both crewed and uncrewed passenger and air cargo eVTOL aircraft.

Founded in 1997, Chery Automobile is a Chinese state-owned corporation that is headquarted in Wuhu, Anhui, China. The automaker revealed a prototype of a modular flying car at the October 2024 Chery Global Innovation Conference. The company is working with the Tsinghua University School of Vehicle and Mobility, UAS manufacturer Aerospace Times Feipeng, Suntae Automobile and other companies. Chery Automobile is a subsidiary of Chery Group.

Land and Air Vehicle modular passenger eVTOL prototype aircraft and ground vehicle
The Land and Air Vehicle is a modular two passenger autonomous eVTOL prototype aircraft and ground vehicle. There are three modules, the intelligent cockpit, the aircraft and the car chassis. Since this vehicle is completely autonomous, there is no need for steering wheels or gas pedals inside the passenger module.

The maximum speed of the aircraft when flying is estimated to be 120 km/h (75 mph), has an expected range of 70–80 km (43– 50 miles), a planned flight time of 40 minutes and will fly under 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The aircraft has eight VTOL-only propellers, one pusher propeller, has nine electric motors and the power source is unknown. The aircraft has one high main wing and one inverted U tail. The aircraft can land by itself on fixed skid landing gear. The car chassis has four wheels like an ordinary automobile.

The first test flights were successfully completed in August 2024 per the Chinese government.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Modular passenger eVTOL prototype aircraft and ground vehicle
• Piloting and driving: Autonomous piloting and ground driving with an intelligent cockpit
• Capacity: 2 people and their luggage
• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)
• Range: 70–80 km (43– 50 miles)
• Flight time: 40 minutes
• Maximum altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
• Propellers: 9 propellers (8 VTOL-only propellers, 1 pusher propeller)
• Electric motors: 9 electric motors
• Power source: Unknown
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left and right visibility for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Wings: 1 high main wing
• Tail: 1 inverted U tail
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

Resources:

• Chery Automobile website
• Chery Automobile Wikipedia
• Article: Chery’s unmanned flying car had flown 80 km, company claimed, Car News China, Oct. 18, 2024
• Article: China’s Chery unveils autonomous flying car, completes 50-mile test flight, Interesting Engineering, Oct. 19, 2024
• Article: China eVTOL Aircraft Round-Up, Part 2, Vertiflite, January/February 2025
• Article: Chery unveils patent for modular flying car with three-body design, Gasgoo, Feb. 19, 2025
• Article: Chinese eVTOL Aircraft Directory, Part 2, Vertiflite, July/August 2025