The year 2025 marked a significant milestone in China’s transportation industry as the research team at Southeast University unveiled the country’s first distributed electric-drive flying car, known as “Southeast University · Kunpeng No.1”. This groundbreaking innovation, developed by the Department of Automotive Engineering in the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Jiangsu Research Center for Intelligent Electric Transport Equipment, represents a new era in mobility technology.
Unlike traditional electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed solely for aerial mobility, the “Southeast University · Kunpeng No.1” combines the capabilities of rapid ground mobility with agile airborne functionalities. With features such as all-wheel steering, all-wheel electric drive layouts, and a four-axis, eight-rotor design, this flying car stands out as the first integrated land-air vehicle in Jiangsu province.
Professor Yin Guodong, the project leader and a faculty member at Southeast University, highlighted the advanced technologies incorporated in the “Southeast University · Kunpeng No.1”. These include integrated land-air body topology optimization, full-range redundancy mechanisms for the power system, a multi-modal interactive digital cockpit, cross-domain multidimensional data fusion, a distributed electric-drive system for both ground and air, and a double Ackermann coordinated steering system.
Measuring 2.1m in length, 1.2m in width, and 1.5m in height, with a maximum takeoff weight of 500 kilograms, the flying car boasts a flight endurance of at least 20 minutes and a maximum flight altitude of 300 meters. Powered by a four-wheel hub distributed electric-drive system, it can reach a top ground speed of 60 km/h, supported by front and rear double Ackermann steering system and electrohydraulic composite braking.
Currently equipped with a high-performance battery pack, the “Southeast University · Kunpeng No.1” is set to undergo further advancements with the development of an extended-range electric propulsion system. This new system promises high power output, long endurance, and improved reliability, aiming to extend flight duration to over two hours in the next generation of land-air integrated flying cars.
The introduction of the “Southeast University · Kunpeng No.1” signifies a significant leap in the evolution of transportation technology in China, merging the realms of ground driving and aerial flight in a seamless and innovative manner. The future holds immense potential for further advancements and applications of such integrated flying cars, paving the way for a new era of urban mobility and transportation solutions.
