Hongqi Sky Sedan 1 (prototype)

(Photo credit: FAW Group)

Sky Sedan 1 (prototype)
Hongqi 
Changchun, Jilin, China
www.hongqi-auto.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 1958, Hongqi is the oldest Chinese automobile manufacturer and is based in Changchun, Jilin, China. On April 23, 2025, the company revealed its two passenger eVTOL modular flying car at the Auto Shanghai 2025 trade show in China. The vehicle can travel on the road or in the air. As passenger safety is the number one goal of the company, the flying car has many safety features included in the avionics of the air/ground vehicle. The company has also be referred to as Red Flag.

Sky Sedan 1 passenger eVTOL modular air/ground prototype vehicle
The Sky Sedan 1 is a two passenger eVTOL modular air/ground prototype vehicle. The flying car holds one pilot, one passenger and their luggage. The vehicle has three modules, the cabin, the flight module with propellers and the ground chassis. There have been multiple names used in articles for the name of the flying car. The flying car has been called the Sky Sedan 1, Tianqi 1, Tiannian 1, Sky Chariot No. 1 and Sky Van 1 (however, the passenger cabin is not the size of a van).

The estimated flying cruise speed of the vehicle is 150 km/h (93 mph) and has a expected flight range of 200 km (124 miles). The flying module has two pusher propellers for forward flight, eight VTOL-only propellers, 10 electric motors and are powered by battery packs. The flying module has one high main wing with winglets and one inverted U-tail. The ground chassis is called an intelligent chassis. The passenger cabin, flight module and the ground chassis are made from carbon fiber composite to give the entire vehicle a high strength to low weight ratio.

The passenger cabin has an intelligent interactive system with voice and image recognition for pilot operations. It can provide real-time and accurate information needed by the pilot for flight tasks, such as flight parameters, route planning, weather conditions and other data to assist their decision making. Having advanced avionics systems reduces the operating load of the pilot and improves the overall safety of the flying car. The aircraft can report multiple flight status data (such as altitude, heading, final destination, flight speed, estimated time of arrival and more) to the pilot and passenger. For the ground mode, the vehicle passed the 2025 Chinese national automotive safety program (C-NCAP) crash test requirements.

Safety Features
There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. The aircraft can takeoff and land autonomously. The flying car has a face recognition system which determines the pilot's identity and pilot's flight credentials. In addition, if the pilot or any passengers suddenly feel sick, the avionics will automatically alert the appropriate officials or take over the flying car autonomously, so that the landing can be guaranteed. The passenger cabin has eight airbags.

It has been reported that Hongqi has conducted over 1,000 simulated extreme flight tests, including takeoffs and landings in Level 12 winds and in other challenging conditions. It has been reported the first flight of the prototype vehicle will take place sometime in 2025.

It is important to remember that all concept design and even prototype aircraft specifications are estimated and can or will change as prototypes and production models are made, tested and flown with real world avionics, components and payloads.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Modular passenger eVTOL air/ground prototype vehicle
• Piloting: 1 pilot and luggage
• Capacity: 1 passenger and luggage
• Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph).
• Range: 200 km (124 miles)
• Propellers: 2 pusher propellers, 8 VTOL-only propellers
• Electric motors: 10 electric motors for the flight module
• Power source: Battery packs (most likely)
• Cabin fuselage, flight module and ground chassis: Carbon fiber composite
• Cabin module windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left and right visibility for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Flying module wings: 1 main high wing with winglets
• Flying module tail: Inverted U tail
• Ground module landing gear: Intelligent ground chassis with 4 wheels
• 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.

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Tracxn
• Wikipedia

Resources:

• Hongqi website
• Article: China FAW Unveils Hongqi's Sky Van 1 Flying Car, Drone World Congress, Apr. 24, 2025
• Article: China's FAW unveils Hongqi flying car with over 200 km range, People's Daily Online, Apr. 24, 2025
• Video: Hongqi's Luxury Flying Car Unveiled and Will Soar to the Sky This Year| Hongqi Tiannian 1 Flying Car, Vision Effect TV, Apr. 25, 2025
• Article: Chinese eVTOL Aircraft Directory, Part 2, Vertiflite, July/August 2025