What was meant to be a showcase of futuristic aviation turned into an alarming scene in Changchun, northeastern China, when two flying cars collided during an airshow rehearsal.
The vehicles were developed by Xpeng AeroHT, the aerial subsidiary of Chinese EV giant Xpeng. Videos from the scene show emergency crews rushing in as one of the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft caught fire after hitting the ground. While the accident looked severe, the outcome was far less tragic than it could have been. According to a company employee speaking to CNN, one pilot suffered only minor injuries.
Xpeng issued a statement reassuring the public: “All personnel at the scene are safe, and local authorities have completed on-site emergency measures in an orderly manner.” The company attributed the crash to “insufficient spacing” between the two aircraft. One of the flying cars sustained major fuselage damage and ignited after landing, though the fire was quickly contained.
Each of the aircraft involved is equipped with six large rotors, designed to support China’s vision of a “low-altitude economy”, operating up to 2,000 feet above the ground. The Communist Party has strongly backed the development of such vehicles, seeing them as part of a future where flying cars become as common as electric vehicles are today.
China’s deep experience in EVs and battery manufacturing gives it a natural advantage in the race to commercialize eVTOLs. But as this incident highlights, the path to widespread adoption remains fraught with challenges, particularly around safety and operational standards.
Despite the setback, Xpeng AeroHT has ambitious plans. The company has announced a target price of around $300,000 per vehicle and claims to have already received 3,000 orders, according to reporting by the BBC. The accident is unlikely to halt development entirely but may sharpen calls for stricter testing and regulation before such aircraft share the skies.