XPENG's Aridge Land Aircraft Carrier: The Flying Car You Can Drive Home and Park in Your Garage

Aridge, XPENG's flying-car arm, has shown its Land Aircraft Carrier in Dubai — a six-wheeled road vehicle with a detachable two-seat electric aircraft in the back. Around 7,000 pre-orders are already in, but UAE buyers will still need aviation certification before they can take off.

jajoy39

Nov 11, 2026 - 00:54

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The XPENG Aridge Land Aircraft Carrier on display outdoors under a white canopy, showing the white six-wheeled road vehicle on the left and the black two-seat eVTOL aircraft with extended rotors on the right, on a light blue platform with trees and event lighting in the background.

XPENG's Aridge Land Aircraft Carrier: The Flying Car You Can Drive Home and Park in Your Garage

UAE residents could soon have the option of owning a flying car they can drive on the road, park at home and convert into an aircraft for short flights, as Chinese company Aridge prepares to bring its personal flying vehicle to the market.

The Land Aircraft Carrier was presented at the XPENG Dubai Brand Night and New Product Launch at Sofitel Dubai The Palm on Monday, November 2, 2026. Unlike the electric air taxis being developed by companies such as Joby Aviation, which are designed to transport passengers commercially, Aridge's vehicle is aimed at individual consumers who want to own and operate their own aircraft.

Two machines in one

The Land Aircraft Carrier consists of two separate modules: a six-wheeled road vehicle that transports the aircraft, and a two-seat electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft housed inside its rear compartment.

Owners can drive the vehicle to a designated flying area before deploying the aircraft. The separation and reconnection process is automated, requiring what Tan Wang, co-founder and vice-president of Aridge and general manager of XPENG Design, described as a one-touch operation.

"We use at least seven systems and more than 1,000 parts to build a mechanism. This mechanism can be reconnected and separated just in one-touch operation," Wang said.

Once activated, the vehicle opens its rear compartment and releases the aircraft. The flying module is lowered towards the ground, with a specialised air suspension system helping it adjust to different surfaces and ground conditions.

After a flight, the aircraft can be returned to the vehicle through an autonomous docking process. Cameras identify the aircraft and guide the road vehicle towards it, while the suspension adjusts its height to ensure the two modules align correctly. The vehicle then moves into position and retrieves the aircraft into its rear compartment. Wang said the reconnection process takes around four to five minutes.

Who can buy it?

Rather than requiring owners to rent hangar space or keep an aircraft at an airport, the Land Aircraft Carrier allows the flying module to be stored inside the road vehicle. Owners can then park the vehicle in their own parking space, subject to applicable parking and vehicle requirements.

The company has received around 7,000 pre-orders globally, Wang said, adding that approximately 600 were from the GCC market.

What licences and permits will residents need?

Owning the vehicle does not automatically mean owners will be able to take off and fly whenever they want. The aircraft must first receive the necessary aviation approvals, while the rules governing individual operators and flight locations in the UAE are still being worked out.

Wang said Aridge first needs to secure type certification from China's Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The company would then seek validation through the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), allowing the aircraft to be recognised for legal operation in the country.

"First, we need to achieve our target from China. We need to have our type certification from the CAAC. After that, we're going to have the VTC. It's already valid from China's type certification, and then we can use the VTC to fly legally here," he said.

Where will owners be allowed to fly?

The aircraft will not necessarily be able to take off from any open space. Its operations will depend on approved flying areas, airspace rules and the infrastructure established by local authorities.

Aridge has signed an agreement with Ras Al Khaimah to establish a regulatory sandbox for testing the technology under the supervision of UAE aviation authorities.

The company is also open to sharing existing infrastructure with other electric aircraft operators, including Skyport's vertiports that are being built for Joby's air taxi operations. Wang said this could include vertiports and existing helicopter landing facilities, rather than requiring Aridge to build an entirely separate network.

For now, the Land Aircraft Carrier remains a promise of a very different kind of personal transport — a car that doubles as a hangar, and an aircraft that fits in the back of it. The question is no longer whether the technology works, but when regulators will let ordinary owners use it.