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‘Flying car’ at CES 2025 leaves Indians in splits: ‘Will bounce like a rabbit on our roads’

7:42 PM

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CES 2025: BYD’s Yangwang U9 supercar, featuring its “jumping suspension,” sparked buzz online as Indian users flooded social media with humorous jibes.

Xpeng Aero HT unveiled a ‘flying car’ that’s part van, part eVTOL at CES 2025.

Chinese automaker BYD recently showcased its Yangwang U9 supercar leaping six meters forward over a pothole, owing to its cutting-edge “jumping suspension” feature. While the video highlighted the vehicle’s innovative technology, it also set social media abuzz, with Indian users humorously comparing the feature to a potential lifesaver on the country’s notoriously pothole-ridden roads.

The Yangwang U9, known for its state-of-the-art suspension system, combines performance and utility, allowing the car to adjust its height, absorb shocks, and perform remarkable jumps as demonstrated in the video. The display, meant to showcase the car’s engineering prowess, inadvertently resonated with road-weary Indians, who jokingly suggested that the feature might have been designed specifically for their infrastructure challenges.

Social media is flooded with witty takes, with one user commenting, “Finally, a car built for Indian roads!” while another quipped, “India is not for beginners. When we have a full flying car, then can sell it in India.”

A user added, “What if there’s another pothole where it lands?”

Another wrote, “Perfect for Indian roads. Please make a retail consumer version and Indians will pounce on it.”

“That car going to be bouncing around like a bunny rabbit in my city,” wrote a user.

Meanwhile, the automotive industry continues to push the boundaries of innovation. At CES 2025, Xpeng Aero HT, an aerospace subsidiary of Chinese EV maker Xpeng, introduced its “modular flying car,” the Land Aircraft Carrier. This futuristic vehicle is essentially an electric minivan equipped with a compact folding eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft that can be deployed for flight.

The Land Aircraft Carrier is priced below $300,000 and has already received 3,000 pre-orders, with mass production set to begin this year. Xpeng Aero HT plans to target the Chinese market initially, with potential applications ranging from luxury adventures to emergency search and rescue missions. Unlike other flying car concepts, the Land Aircraft Carrier takes a hybrid approach, allowing users to drive the vehicle to a suitable takeoff point before deploying the eVTOL with a single command.

Meanwhile, the automotive industry continues to innovate. At CES 2025, Xpeng Aero HT, an aerospace subsidiary of Chinese EV maker Xpeng, introduced its “modular flying car,” the Land Aircraft Carrier. This futuristic vehicle is essentially an electric minivan equipped with a compact folding eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft that can be deployed for flight.

The Land Aircraft Carrier is priced below $300,000 and has already received 3,000 pre-orders. Mass production is set to begin this year. Xpeng Aero HT plans to target the Chinese market initially, with potential applications ranging from luxury adventures to emergency search-and-rescue missions. Unlike other flying car concepts, the Land Aircraft Carrier takes a hybrid approach. Users can drive the vehicle to a suitable takeoff point before deploying the eVTOL with a single command.

According to TechCrunch, BYD’s groundbreaking suspension technology and Xpeng’s modular flying car are heating up the competition in futuristic transportation. Both innovations underline a growing trend of blending utility with next-level technology, promising exciting developments in the automotive and aerospace industries.