BYD, DJI unveil intelligent vehicle-mounted drone system

Chinese automaker BYD and drone giant DJI have launched an intelligent vehicle-mounted drone system, aiming to transform cars into mobile entertainment and exploration platforms.

The system, called "Lingyuan", integrates a drone with the vehicle, offering a vertical field of view to capture travel moments in real time. It will be available across all BYD models, the company announced at a launch event on Sunday in Shenzhen, a major tech hub in southern China's Guangdong Province.

"Lingyuan" features a retractable car-mounted landing pad, enabling automated takeoff and landing, synchronized follow-shooting, and rapid storage and charging of the drone, according to Yang Dongsheng, BYD's senior vice president.

"The collaboration between BYD and DJI is far more than just placing a drone in a car," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD at the launch event.

Wang said they started from the ground up, integrating vehicle and drone technologies in a way that enhances both.

Luo Zhenhua, president of DJI, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that technology should not be used to create toys for the few. "It should be a tool that benefits the world," he said, calling the partnership a breakthrough in product innovation and a re-imagination of the mobility ecosystem.

BYD, founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, has been at the forefront of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. In 2024, the company saw NEV sales soar 41.26 percent year on year to over 4.27 million units.

Established in 2006 and headquartered in Shenzhen, DJI has grown into the dominant force in the global drone industry, with its products widely used in filmmaking, agriculture, search and rescue, energy infrastructure, and more.