BYD continues to surprise its fans, and after revealing the supercar Yangwang U9, which autonomously jumps over obstacles like potholes, water puddles, and nails on the road, it has now introduced the first drone station mounted on a vehicle.
The world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles has joined forces with drone specialist DJI to launch a docking station system on the roofs of its vehicles.
The Lingyuan system features complete integration into the vehicle, both for BYD models and other brands, and is available in two versions: the LingYuan Battery Swap Edition, equipped with a DJI Mavic 3 drone and primarily designed for Yangwang models, BYD’s luxury brand; and the Lingyuan Fast Charging Edition, which uses a customized DJI AIR 3S drone and is offered in Denza models, BYD’s premium brand, as well as in some BYD models.
The new technology incorporates the world’s first intelligent landing platform solution, which utilizes drone positioning modules, rooftop-mounted cameras, and custom dual-use launchers. This way, the Lingyuan system allows drones to take off and land at a car speed of up to 25 km/h.
Additionally, the system features an intelligent “follow-me” function, which allows the drone to follow the vehicle at speeds of up to 54 km/h. This new integrated drone system from BYD also enables the drone’s battery to be charged from 20% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
The system can be used with a simple touch on the vehicle’s screen, which opens a compartment on the roof, allowing a platform to elevate the DJI drone for takeoff.
For now, this new technology, resulting from the alliance between BYD and DJI, is only available for the Chinese market and for all BYD brands at ¥16,000, which is about $2,200 or €2,037.
BYD has also announced that the new Bao 8 SUV is already equipped with this new drone launch system mounted on the roof of the vehicles.
