BYD and DJI Unveil First Integrated Drone System in Vehicles

BYD, a global leader in plug-in vehicles and electric batteries, has joined forces with drone specialist DJI to unveil an innovative drone system that showcases seamless integration of this technology into automobiles.

The intelligent drone system for cars, commercially named Lingyuan, was unveiled at BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen. This groundbreaking technology, currently available only in mainland China, is set to drive the industrialisation and large-scale adoption of intelligent drone systems in the automotive sector.

The Lingyuan system achieves full integration into vehicles, both in BYD models and its other brands. It is available in two versions: the LingYuan Battery Swap Edition, equipped with the DJI Mavic 3 drone and primarily designed for YANGWANG, BYD's luxury brand; and the Lingyuan Fast Charging Edition, which uses a customised DJI AIR 3S drone and is offered in DENZA, BYD's premium brand models, as well as some BYD models.

The new technology incorporates the world's first intelligent landing platform solution, utilising drone positioning modules, roof-mounted cameras, and dual-use custom handles.

Thanks to this, the Lingyuan system can perform take-offs and landings on the move at speeds of up to 25 km/h, allowing the drone to return to the vehicle from a distance of up to two kilometres with just the press of a button. It offers the intelligent "follow-me" function at speeds of up to 54 km/h and an automatic fast-charging capability that can recharge the drone's battery from 20% to 80% in just 30 minutes.

The system also offers 30 pre-set recording templates and intelligent algorithms, enabling users to easily capture high-quality images of their vehicle adventures with a single command, eliminating the need for extensive manual operation. The Lingyuan app, developed by BYD, provides an easy-to-use interface that drastically reduces the challenges of operating a drone and is highly integrated into the vehicle's systems.

Its ultra-compact retractable helipad allows the vehicle's height to remain under 2.05 metres, whether integrated into the roof (larger models) or installed just above it (smaller models).

This support also incorporates a 4K wide-angle camera that can work alongside the drone's own 4K camera to provide dual-perspective images, all of which are available for editing via the Lingyuan app.