Hongqi presents a luxury-grade flying car

Chinese premium vehicle manufacturer Hongqi has unveiled the Tianlin 1, a prototype eVTOL aimed at the upper market.

IT looks like a flying car and is similar in design to other similar projects by Chinese automakers, like GAC. It consists of three separate units – a passenger cab, a monocopter frame with individually motorized rotors, and a wheeled chassis. VTOL means it supports vertical takeoff and landing – no runway required.

The automaker claims the Tianlin 1 can cover more than 200 km (124 miles) by air moving at speeds up to 150 km/h (93 mph). Owners can detach and put away the monocopter frame when not in use, so that the vehicle can function like a normal road-legal car.

Last but not least, the wheeled chassis doubles as a power bank for the frame. While the VTOL is in transit, the chassis can drive itself to a nearest charging station and top up the battery pack for the next flight.