News · · 2 min read
XPeng's Aridge: "We cannot deliver this year." Land Aircraft Carrier slips to 2027
Aridge's founder says the modular flying car won't reach customers in 2026 while it works through the final stage of airworthiness certification. More than 7,000 orders are waiting.
Aridge, the XPeng-affiliated flying-car maker, will not deliver its Land Aircraft Carrier this year. In an interview published on August 27, founder Zhao Deli said, "We cannot deliver this year." He said Aridge is at the critical stage of obtaining its airworthiness certificate and aims to deliver next year, according to XPulse's sourced Aridge timeline, which cites the Sina interview.
That's a change from April. On April 23, XPeng co-president Brian Gu told Reuters to expect early deliveries late in 2026, large-scale production in 2027 and more than 7,000 orders, per XPulse and TechRepublic.
What the Land Aircraft Carrier is
It's a two-part system. A six-wheeled road vehicle carries a detachable two-seat electric VTOL aircraft in its rear bay. Aridge said in September 2024 that the package would be priced under RMB 2 million (about $295,600), reports EV. TechRepublic, citing Electrek's factory visit, says the air module weighs about 700 kg and carries about 50 kWh of battery, with a reported flight range of about 30 km.
Certification so far
From XPulse's dated record and EV's report:
- March 2024: China's CAAC accepted the type-certificate application for the aircraft.
- May 2025: CAAC accepted the production-certificate application.
- July 22, 2026: CAAC put Aridge on its first fast-track ("compliance enterprise") list for crewed eVTOL airworthiness, alongside EHang, Volant and AutoFlight. EV reports the list brings simplified procedures and priority processing. It is a process benefit, not a certificate.
Aridge has not announced a type certificate.
Production is running ahead of approval
The factory isn't waiting. Aridge began batch trial production on March 5, 2026, building five aircraft in one day. On August 10 it said it had built its 1,000th electric propulsion unit and put more than 200 aircraft into testing, according to XPulse. EV reports the Guangzhou plant has initial capacity of 5,000 units a year, rising to 10,000.
Abroad, two aircraft flew in formation in Abu Dhabi on September 17. Aridge also signed a regulatory sandbox agreement with Ras Al Khaimah on September 18, per XPulse.
A history of moving targets
XPulse's timeline shows the delivery date sliding before. At CES in January 2024, Aridge targeted mass production and deliveries from Q4 2025. Through 2025 the plan was deliveries in 2026. Now it's 2027. Zhao also said in September that flying taxis for ordinary people are at least five years away.
Our take
Aridge has something most rivals don't: a real factory and a serious order book. TechRepublic notes the 7,000-order figure comes without full preorder terms and "should be treated as a demand signal." The tracker now shows the Land Aircraft Carrier with no deliveries in 2026, 2027 target. We'll watch for a CAAC type certificate.
Sources
Video
Demonstration flight for His Majesty King Abdullah II | Land Aircraft Carrier
Aridge says the flight took place on August 20, 2026. Video and poster: ARIDGE · Watch on YouTubeFacts as reported by the linked sources as of Oct 17, 2026. Company targets are plans, not guarantees. Corrections: see About.