BYD wants to one-up Tesla by mounting drones on its EVs' roofs

In brief: The EV wars between BYD and Tesla have taken to the skies – well, sort of. The Chinese automaker is now shipping some of its offerings with a drone system mounted on the roof. Called Lingyuan, it lets you deploy a drone straight from the roof of your ride to capture sweeping aerial views and film follow-cam videos while cruising down the road. The drones can take off and land autonomously from a special housing on the roof while the car is moving at speeds up to 33 mph. Operating the drone is designed to be as simple as possible. All the user needs to do is tap a button to launch the drone. It will then trail behind to record your adventures from above. BYD has really leaned into the futuristic factor with Lingyuan's sleek sci-fi aesthetics. The system features doors that glide open to reveal a rising platform with the aircraft perched on top. The deployment looks straight out of that iconic final chase in Blade Runner 2049 where Officer K deploys a drone that emerges from ... Read full article.