BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles, has now announced the start of deliveries of drone stations for the SUV, Denza N9.
After officially launching the drone stations for its models in March, aimed at enhancing user experience through fun features for outdoor activities, BYD is now equipping the new Denza plug-in hybrid SUV with a new “toy.”
It is worth noting that for this new project, BYD joined forces with drone specialist DJI to launch a docking station system on the roofs of its vehicles.
Mounted at the rear of the roof, the system known as Lingyuan features full 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 as well as in some BYD models.
The new technology incorporates the world’s first intelligent landing platform solution, which uses drone positioning modules, roof-mounted cameras, and custom dual-use hooks. In this way, the Lingyuan system allows drones to take off and land at a car speed of up to 25 km/h.
In addition, the system also features the 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 operated with a simple touch on the vehicle’s screen, which allows for the opening of a compartment on the roof, enabling a platform to elevate the DJI drone for takeoff.
According to “CarNewsChina”, the BYD drone station is priced at ¥ 16,000 in China, which is US$ 2,230, or €1,953.
