The competition to be the most outrageous vehicle at CES is fierce: There's the speedy solar-powered Aptera, electric RVs like the Lightspeed, and all sorts of wheeled electric gadgets. But Xpeng, a major Chinese electric vehicle maker, outshone the rest this year when it introduced the Aero HT Land Aircraft Carrier (LAC), a six-wheeled monstrosity that does exactly what its name suggests.
When a tailgate swings open, the Goliath LAC begins to eject its payload: a crumpled, human-sized drone, more commonly known as an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL. When exiting the rear storage compartment, the plane's legs fold down like a newborn calf, and the carrier moves up and down to pull it out using its air suspension.
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It's neither pretty nor graceful, but the end result is no less impressive: a shiny, fly-ready six-rotor aircraft. According to Xpeng, the vehicle, called the “air module,” is so simple that anyone can learn it in five minutes thanks to its single-stick design. It can also fly autonomously, and Xpeng claims redundant systems allow it to stay safely aloft even if up to two rotors fail. There's no word about a parachute like we've seen on other eVTOLs.
Who is the customer for something like this? Xpeng envisions families driving to scenic locations and then launching the module to explore the area at low altitude. The company will even set up “flight camps” along scenic routes to make launches easier. In theory, however, the entire package is designed to be launched anywhere: all six wheels are powered for off-road performance, and the air suspension automatically adjusts to accommodate the air module on uneven surfaces. When a flight is completed, the transporter can recover the aircraft with the push of a button, using sensors to intelligently approach the aircraft and push it back into place.
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Both the air and ground modules run on 800V batteries, which we've seen in electric vehicles like the Ioniq 5 and Porsche Taycan. The transporter has a generator to charge both its own batteries and the aircraft, and Xpeng says it can complete up to six flights on one tank of fuel.
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If this all sounds a little hard to believe, we agree, but Xpeng demonstrated the entire system back in November at the China International Airshow. Nothing moved at CES 2025, but guests were able to climb into the cockpit of the air module and experience the 270-degree view for themselves.
Nick Mokey / Digital Trends
Xpeng says the LAC is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2025 and delivery is expected to begin in 2026. No prices have been announced yet.
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