The wildest electric car you will ever see

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You don't usually think of aircraft carriers when you think of cars, but that might be set to change.

Autocar UK.

Both the car and its flying unit were showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently, with Autocar reporting that Xpeng AeroHT – the aircraft arm of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors – has already received "3000 intent-orders" for it.

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It's been reported that testing has been finished in China, where the brand has already obtained type certification, a major requirement for being allowed to operate commercial flights.

Wang Tan, the co-founder and chief designer at Aero HT, told Autocar "There are people who like to go bush, and this vehicle's got a six-wheel setup and a diff lock that gives it real four-wheel-drive ability.

It will also give people who fly another option. As a pilot, every time I want to fly, I have to go to the airport, and if I've got my own helicopter, I might need a trailer. It makes it all pretty hard, but with this, I can take my eVTOL anywhere.

Fair dinkum, who needs the airport when you've got a flying car bolted onto your ute?

The aircraft carrier itself is about 55 metres long and 20 metres wide, which, according to Tan, is still enough to fit in a standard parking space.

With its pointed front end, flat aluminium- and steel-look cladding and a body-width front LED light bar.

It sacrifices the bed to make way for the flying car, naturally, with rear suicide doors that swing upwards so the aerial vehicle can dock.

The ute has only two seats, one for the driver and another for the front passenger, while the use of carbon fibre components allows for ample space and a reduction in weight.

The fine details of this truck aren't set in stone yet, but it's said to have an electric vehicle powertrain that gets a boost from a range extender, which should give it a driving range of almost a thousand kilometres.

There's still a couple of years of development work to be done, says Tan, but a 2026 launch is being considered, along with a price tag of under $477,000, according to Autocar.

The launch will occur in China, with international markets expected to follow. It's been reported that there's significant interest from the Middle East markets as well.

SUV – locally. Plans are in the works for expansion, with more models, including the G7, due to arrive.

So, who knows? With our massive rural areas and the Australian government's increasing interest in eVTOLs, we could be right behind the pack.