Frontline | BYD and DJI jointly release the Lingyuan System, and the Leopard 8 unmanned aerial vehicle version is simultaneously launched.

On March 2, 2025, BYD joined hands with DJI to hold the intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system conference in Shenzhen, and officially named the system "Spirit Kite".

"Spirit Kite" enables the vehicle to obtain a vertical field of view, realizes the vehicle and unmanned aircraft integration, and will cover all BYD brand models to achieve technology popularization.

As BYD's first highly integrated intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system, "Spirit Kite" is mainly divided into two versions. The battery swap version is equipped with the DJI Mavic 3 unmanned aircraft to achieve automatic battery swapping and seamless battery life, and is mainly installed on the Yangwang brand. The fast charging version is equipped with the DJI AIR 3S customized vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft, mainly installed on BYD Dynasty, Ocean, Denza, and Fangcheng Leopard. The full set of Spirit Kite intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system fast charging version is priced at 16,000 yuan.

At the conference, the Fangcheng Leopard 8 unmanned aircraft version, which is the first to be equipped with the "Spirit Kite" fast charging version, was also officially launched. The site announced that the Leopard 8 series can be optionally equipped with the intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system, with a price range of 395,800 to 423,800 yuan. The Leopard 8 unmanned aircraft version has also become the first model that integrates the top technologies of three major technology giants: BYD, DJI, and Huawei.

The release of Spirit Kite has made BYD the world's first automaker to mass-produce vehicle-mounted unmanned aircrafts. In the future, the intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system will gradually shift from a niche feature to a standard feature for the general public.

Just as Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD Group, said at the conference: "The cooperation between BYD and DJI is not simply putting an unmanned aircraft on a vehicle. Instead, starting from the underlying technology, from 0 to 1, we have designed and developed a vehicle integration system, successfully achieving a deep integration of the vehicle and the unmanned aircraft, ultimately achieving an effect of 1 + 1 > 2."

Luo Zhenhua, President of DJI Group, also said at the conference: "Technology is not to create toys for a few people, but should be a tool to benefit the world." It can be said that this time, the collaboration between BYD and DJI is not only an in-depth cooperation at the product level, but also a new construction of the travel scene ecosystem.

In the past, users who wanted to capture beautiful moments during travel needed to carry a large amount of equipment, and the massive material sorting and post-editing were also a headache. Now, Spirit Kite can solve all these problems.

Yang Dongsheng, Senior Vice President of BYD Group and Dean of the Automotive New Technology Research Institute, introduced that the Spirit Kite intelligent vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system has achieved four advanced features: advanced architecture, advanced hardware, advanced algorithm, and advanced open ecosystem. Spirit Kite uses the world's first vehicle-mounted telescopic apron solution, integrating multiple hardware such as the vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft positioning module, 4K high-definition roof camera, and customized dual-mode handle. It can not only achieve dynamic takeoff and landing, one-click return to the cabin, and follow-up shooting, but also achieve storage and fast charging. With 30 shooting templates and intelligent algorithms, users can easily create a video with one click without much operation.

It is reported that so far, BYD has achieved dynamic takeoff and landing at a vehicle speed of 25 km/h. The vehicle-mounted positioning module can provide the unmanned aircraft with accurate relative positions at any time. Even if the vehicle is blocked, it can stably track without losing track. BYD has achieved a stable follow-up at a maximum vehicle speed of 54 kilometers. In addition, even if the vehicle is 2 kilometers away, the unmanned aircraft can also return to the cabin safely and dynamically.

The vehicle-mounted intelligent hangar pioneered by BYD is also one of the highlights of Spirit Kite. As a key component of the Spirit Kite vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft system, the intelligent hangar has two installation methods: suspension and inlay, covering all BYD brands. Its vehicle-mounted telescopic apron solution can achieve the miniaturization and platformization of the hangar, enabling the deep integration of the unmanned aircraft and the vehicle. At the same time, it integrates vehicle-grade anemometers, vehicle-mounted unmanned aircraft positioning modules, image transmission antennas, and intelligent temperature control systems, with functions such as dynamic takeoff and landing, precise landing, intelligent charging, and temperature control.

In the future, with the further popularization of BYD's Spirit Kite system, one person, one vehicle, and one unmanned aircraft are equivalent to a film crew, and users themselves can become directors. From traveling to creating videos, travel light and enjoy as you wish.