Two Xpeng Flying Cars Collide During Rehearsal at Chinese Air Show

Two Xpeng AeroHT electric flying cars collided during a rehearsal for the Changchun Air Show in northeast China, an event designed to showcase cutting-edge aviation technology. The crash occurred on Tuesday Sep. 15 as the company prepared for the air show set to open later this week.

According to a statement provided to Reuters, the two Xpeng AeroHT vehicles collided midair, with one catching fire upon landing. Xpeng said all personnel at the scene were safe, but CNN, citing an anonymous company employee, reported that one person was injured.

Footage circulating on China’s Weibo social media platform appeared to show a flaming vehicle on the ground being attended to by fire engines. “One vehicle sustained fuselage damage and caught fire upon landing,” Xpeng AeroHT said in a statement to CNN. “All personnel at the scene are safe, and local authorities have completed on-site emergency measures in an orderly manner,” it added.

The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cars, which the company hopes to sell for about $300,000 (£220,000) each, are part of Xpeng’s push into the “low-altitude economy” and next-generation transportation. In January, Xpeng claimed to have received roughly 3,000 orders for the vehicle.

Xpeng is one of the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and has recently expanded into Europe. The flying cars involved in the crash are built by its subsidiary, AeroHT, and feature four sets of propellers for vertical lift.

While China is aggressively promoting eVTOL technology in hopes of replicating its success in electric cars, the sector still faces major hurdles in infrastructure, regulation, and public acceptance. Analysts say the country’s early adoption strategy could position it as a global leader in low-altitude flight, but incidents like Tuesday’s crash underscore the risks and challenges of bringing flying cars to market.

Last year, a pioneering European flying car firm was acquired by a Chinese company, highlighting the country’s ambitions to dominate this emerging industry.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, bbc.com, reuters.com, cnn.com