According to recent media reports, XPeng Motors Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng revealed in an interview that he once approached entrepreneur Luo Yonghao to head the company’s flying car project.
He recalled that when he brought up the idea, Luo took time to think it over carefully. Luo found the project both challenging and fascinating — something he genuinely liked — and even asked He why he had chosen him for the role.
He Xiaopeng explained that the flying car industry was completely new at the time, requiring a unique mix of skills: a deep understanding of hardware logic, a grasp of regulatory frameworks, strong market instincts, and solid operational experience.
However, he noted that few people in China possessed all these qualities. To succeed in this field, one needed to combine technical know-how with strategic thinking and business acumen — qualities Luo Yonghao uniquely embodied.
He praised Luo as a rare candidate who not only understood both hardware and software but also had strong insight into business operations and policy. Moreover, Luo shared the belief that the future of air mobility would be shaped by a combination of low-altitude, high-altitude, and ultra-high-altitude flight.
Nonetheless, Luo later shared on his podcast in August that, if not for his financial debt issues at the time, there was a “99% chance” he would have accepted He Xiaopeng’s offer.
