BYD launches DJI car-mounted drone in China – from RM10k to retrofit; special Bao 8, Yangwang U8 also

Car-mounted drones are the dream of car designers everywhere and have appeared in many a concept car, but it has never appeared on a production vehicle. That is, until now – BYD has teamed up with premier drone maker DJI to offer a vehicle-mounted drone system, attached atop the roof of BYD’s cars.

The package, dubbed Lingyuan, consists of the drone itself (obviously) and a “smart hangar” that houses the said drone when not in use. The drone, specially adapted for vehicular use, can take off and land mid-driving, but only when the car is travelling at speeds of up to 25 km/h.

Once in the air, the drone can track the car autonomously at speeds of up to 56 km/h, with the ability to dodge obstacles as is the case with DJI’s latest higher-end products. It also has a safe return (one-touch return-to-home and landing) radius of two kilometres. The drone can be controlled using the car’s infotainment system, with users even being able to edit videos through the touchscreen itself.

Two versions will be made available, depending on the brand of the car. The mainstream BYD marque and the premium Denza and Fangchengbao brands can be had with a smaller fast-charging hangar that charges the drone when it docks. Existing owners will be able to retrofit the system at a cost of 16,000 yuan (RM9,800), inclusive of a DJI Air 3S drone and controller – these two alone retail for RM4,599 in Malaysia.

Before the retrofit kit goes on sale, the fast-charging system will be fitted to a special version of the Fangchengbao Bao 8, costing exactly 16,000 yuan more than the regular Bao 8. The premium off-roader is priced from 395,800 yuan (RM242,100) to 423,800 yuan (RM259,200) with the drone attached.

Meanwhile, the Yangwang brand gains a battery-swap version that’s larger and takes up the entire roof of the car. The extra space is needed to house the robotic arms that can remove a depleted battery from the drone and swap it with a fully-charged one, allowing the drone to be flown immediately after.

This system is fitted to the Yangwang U8 Off-Road Player Edition, which is more rugged than the standard car and comes with built-in satellite communications. On that car, the drone is optional, and while the price of the said option has yet to be revealed, it will certainly cost a pretty penny, given that the drone is updated to a triple-camera DJI Mavic 3 Pro with three batteries – this drone package alone costs RM10,999 in Malaysia. The car without the drone is priced at 1,098,000 yuan (RM670,500).

The post BYD launches DJI car-mounted drone in China – from RM10k to retrofit; special Bao 8, Yangwang U8 also appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.