This van is, in reality, a land aircraft carrier, and for now it is only a project.

Chinese car manufacturers are willing to keep innovating and creating interesting proposals, both for more common uses and for more specialised fields. A good example of this is the presentation of the Land Aircraft Carrier (LAC), a vehicle that is, to say the least, somewhat curious.

It is a six-wheeled van, capable of carrying a drone with capacity for two passengers. The architect of this design is the brand XPENG, which has handled the conceptual design of this vehicle. Its powertrain is not known, so we don’t know whether it will be an electric van or have a hybrid powertrain.

Specifically, it is the work of the AeroHT division of the multinational, focused on the aeronautical sector, which wants to move forward in developing innovative vehicles, so it has dared with this vehicle. Its look is angular and, in a way, reminiscent of a Cybertruck. The main difference is the third axle it has been fitted with, and the rear section.

This houses an eVTOL, a drone with six electric propellers capable of carrying two people. This too has been designed by AeroHT and, according to the company, it is capable of flying even with four rotors, so it offers considerable safety. It has even been equipped with two parachutes, which can deploy at a height of 50 metres, so in the event of a fall it can offer greater safety.

To offset the weight of the drone, a third axle has been added, along with adaptive suspension that allows it to even drive over rural terrain. Another curiosity is that the drone’s controls can be used to drive the van, so it is not just a vehicle for transport, but part of the vehicle itself.

Other uses of the LAC

The rear section can be used for other purposes. In the conceptual images, it can be seen that it can also be used as a camper or cargo vehicle. This will allow XPENG to continue working on this virtual prototype and offer a physical prototype soon, and to move forward with a possible production version. Will it be useful? Well, as long as eVTOLs remain nothing more than projects, possibly not. But if they ever become popular, it will be a very good option.