New GAC GOVE EV Flying Car Concept Looks Fit For A Sci-Fi Flick

The GAC GOVE concept is touted by its makers to be a true master of both land and the skies.

China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) revealed its vision of the future of transportation. Essentially, this radical concept merges both a flying passenger drone pod of sorts that connects to a wheeled chassis for the road, thus making it the master of both the land and skies.

The concept has been christened as ‘GOVE’, which stands for “GAC’s on-the-go, vertical-flight, electric vehicle.” This single-seat vehicle has six rotors and uses GAC’s ADiGO-Pilot autonomous flying tech that allow its owners – or pilot? – to travel to destinations with great speed and ease.

‘GOVE’ stands for “GAC’s on-the-go, vertical-flight, electric vehicle.” This single-seat vehicle has six rotors and uses GAC’s ADiGO-Pilot autonomous flying tech.

For shorter trips, or during pre-flight taxiing, the GOVE can land on a four-wheel landing pad. When docked together, it acts as a normal electric car, albeit one with just a single seat. However, we reckon some weird accessories would make some drivers nervous when overtaking taller vehicles on the road.

Notably, this road-going chassis can operate remotely, as in it can go and recharge itself whilst you’re airborne in the pod. Also, instead of selling both the flying pod and road-going chassis as a whole, GAC envisions the latter to be a shared item amongst several users should the need arise.

Whilst the pod-shaped drone takes flight, the land-based rolling chassis can operate remotely and recharge itself too.

As this is a mere concept, details surrounding range, power, performance, as well as targeted market availability are scant. However, GAC were quoted by regional business portal Nikkei that the GOVE’s induction into production and subsequent deliveries to customers would “probably take a long time.”

Certainly, GAC also must deal with the bureaucratic challenge of getting drones approved for passenger use in China.

When both pod and rolling chassis are docked, GAC says the GOVE can act like a regular EV on the road.

Nevertheless, earlier this week, GAC did demonstrate the concept in flight with a passenger. The firm also reportedly noted its intent to partner with the likes of Ruqi Mobility and Robotaxi in the future to build up its flying car department.

Besides GAC, other companies like Hyundai, Xpeng, as well as aviation giant Airbus, and more recently Suzuki, are all toying with similar vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones for passenger use.

Would you fancy taking flight in something like the GAC GOVE? Or would you rather keep your piloting grounded with wheels on the black-top instead? Hit the comments below with your thoughts…