On June 13, 2025, the first wireless communication performance test of domestic flying cars was successfully completed. This milestone not only represents a major breakthrough in technology, but also opens up a new growth curve for China's low-altitude economic development and semiconductor industry. With the acceleration of the global deployment of low-altitude three-dimensional transportation, the communication system of flying cars will become the core support for the safety and efficiency of urban air travel in the future.
Ⅰ. Technological breakthrough: comprehensive verification of communication capabilities
The wireless communication system of a flying car can be compared to the neural network of the human body, and its stability is directly related to flight safety. The test was jointly completed by the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center and Xpeng Huitian, focusing on solving the communication stability problem of flying cars in complex electromagnetic environments.
In low-altitude urban environments, where wireless signal interference is frequent, flying cars need to identify and process critical information in noisy "electromagnetic bazaars", and their structure and materials also cause interference to antenna radiation. In response to these challenges, the test team completed the following four key tests:
1. Passive performance test of the whole antenna: evaluate the radiation characteristics and gain of the antenna in different attitudes;
2. Active performance test of the whole antenna: test the cooperative communication performance of the antenna in the system-level communication environment;
3. Communication system signal coexistence test: simulate multiple signal coexistence scenarios to detect signal processing and anti-crosstalk ability;
4. Receiver Sensitivity Deterioration Test: verify the minimum sensitivity threshold for the system to receive instructions under interference conditions.
The test covers a variety of communication standards such as 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, etc., covering both upright and inverted states of the flying car, to ensure the reliability of its communication system under different flight conditions. The project leader pointed out that this test is equivalent to a "whole body neurological examination" of the flying car's communication system, which is a key step towards commercial deployment of communication capabilities.
Figure: The first wireless communication performance test of a domestic flying car was successfully completed
Ⅱ. The market background: to seize the low-altitude communication highland
Flying cars are moving from science fiction to reality, becoming a new solution to alleviate urban congestion and improve traffic efficiency. Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2040, the global urban air mobility market will reach $1.5 trillion, becoming a new blue ocean for the integration of technology and transportation.
China is also actively promoting it at the policy level. In the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-quality Development of the Low-altitude Economy" issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2024, it is clearly stated that the aircraft should have stable low-altitude communication, positioning and navigation capabilities. This test fills the gap in the communication verification of domestic flying cars, and provides a leading paradigm for the subsequent formulation of communication system standards and the construction of industry standards.
International competition is equally fierce. Companies such as Joby Aviation in the United States have deployed in millimeter-wave communications, aiming to provide high-speed data channels for flying cars with the help of high bandwidth and low latency. In contrast, the Chinese team's test not only covered the whole link of the communication system, but also simulated a variety of interference scenarios, and its wide adaptability laid a solid data foundation for subsequent upgrades and application expansion.
Ⅲ. Far-reaching impact on the semiconductor industry
Flying car wireless communication systems are highly dependent on advanced semiconductor technology, and chips are the key fulcrum for multi-mode communication, high-speed computing, anti-interference, and low-power design.
The main semiconductor devices involved include:
* Baseband chip: responsible for signal modulation and demodulation, is the core processing unit of the communication link;
* RF chip: to achieve high-frequency signal transmission and reception, it is required to have strong anti-interference and signal integrity;
* Wireless communication chip (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth): responsible for short-distance data transmission and interconnection with internal and external equipment of the aircraft;
* GNSS navigation chip: provide guarantee for accurate positioning;
* High-performance processor: process all kinds of communication data and participate in flight control system decision support.
As the commercialization of flying cars accelerates, there will be a new peak in demand for such chips. Traditional communication chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm and MediaTek have already made arrangements in the field of in-vehicle communication, while Nvidia and Intel are also promoting AI computing platforms for air travel. Under the high requirements of communication security, real-time performance, power consumption management and other dimensions, future chip products must take into account many new elements such as SoC integration, heat dissipation design, and anti-high-altitude radiation capabilities.
In addition, the emerging demand for flying cars will prompt the semiconductor industry chain to make targeted innovations in materials, packaging, EDA design, testing standards, etc. For example, GaN RF devices, highly reliable packaging materials, and air-to-ground integrated signal processing chips, which are more suitable for aerial platforms, will become the focus of new research and development.
Ⅳ. The prospect: open a new era of low-altitude economy
The success of the wireless communication test has laid the foundation for the landing of flying cars in multiple scenarios. In the future, it has a wide range of application prospects in logistics, commuting, rescue, inspection and other fields:
* Smart logistics: Respond to urban congestion and improve efficiency in last-mile delivery, especially for time-sensitive categories such as fresh food and medicines;
* Emergency response: Rapid deployment of rescue forces in natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods;
* Urban travel: alleviate the pressure of ground commuting and shorten the short- and medium-distance cross-city travel time;
* Energy inspection: Efficiently complete remote inspection tasks of power, pipelines and other infrastructure.
However, in order to achieve large-scale application, it is still necessary to overcome three core barriers: airspace management, flight control safety, and infrastructure:
1. Airspace management: It is urgent to establish a low-altitude traffic flow management system (UTM) to delineate airspace levels and route rules to ensure air order;
2. Flight control system security: communication redundancy, system fault tolerance, and AI decision-making credibility need to be further strengthened.
3. Infrastructure support: including take-off and landing points, charging piles, maintenance stations and other facilities need to be laid out urgently to form a complete closed-loop operation.
The United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has promoted the formulation of global eVTOL flight certification specifications in 2023, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China has also launched the airworthiness certification mechanism for flying cars in early 2024. The two-wheel drive of standard formulation and technical verification will accelerate the transition from demonstration operation to commercial operation.
Conclusion: Industry collaboration to create a low-altitude communication ecology
This flying car communication test is an important milestone in the field of low-altitude economy in China, demonstrating the technical strength to achieve safe communication in complex electromagnetic environments. For the semiconductor industry, this marks the beginning of a new market, which not only brings growth opportunities for chip design companies, but also forms a technical force for material, packaging, and test equipment manufacturers.
On the new track of low-altitude economy, only the collaboration of communications, flight controllers, chips, software, infrastructure and other parties can build a safe and efficient flight ecosystem. With the support of national policies and the promotion of their own innovation, Chinese enterprises are expected to seize the opportunity in this new highland of global competition.
