The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) calls for developing emerging pillar industries and accelerating the development of industrial clusters in strategic emerging fields, such as the low-altitude economy.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, or flying cars, have become a key frontier in the future transport transformation and technological competition.
China FAW Group Co., Ltd. (FAW) prioritizes digital, smart and interconnected transformation to advance the development of flying vehicles. It established FAW Qiyi (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. in the summer of 2025 and achieved breakthroughs across the entire value chain in less than a year, including company registration, team building, and the test flight of a prototype.
Hongqi Tiannian 1 makes its tethered test flight on December 28, 2025. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Hongqi Tiannian 1, its flying car prototype, completed the tethered test flight on December 28, 2025. At the end of March in 2026, the Civil Aviation Administration of China granted it a special flight permit to engage in routine scientific flight testing. The concept cabin of Hongqi Tiannian 1 debuted at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, and at the same time, the R&D of an airworthiness-certified model was officially launched. The company plans to submit materials to prove the prototype’s airworthiness at the end of 2026, accelerating the transition from technical validation to commercial deployment.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, FAW, serving in its role as a State-owned enterprise, will promote the high-quality development of the flying car industry, contributing more to low-altitude economic growth and the establishment of a modern, comprehensive transport system.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
