Flying cars collide and catch fire during rehearsal at Chinese air show

The accident occurred Tuesday in Changchun, Jilin Province, as the city prepared for the five-day Changchun Air Show scheduled to begin Friday. The flying cars were developed by Xpeng AeroHT, a subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle giant Xpeng, according to CNN.

Footage on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed one of the vehicles engulfed in flames on the ground as fire crews worked to extinguish it. Xpeng AeroHT said in a statement to CNN that one eVTOL "sustained fuselage damage and caught fire upon landing."

"All personnel at the scene are safe, and local authorities have completed on-site emergency measures in an orderly manner," the company said, adding that an investigation is underway.

XPeng AeroHT Voyager X2 flying car. Photo courtesy of XPeng AeroHT

A company employee, who requested anonymity, told CNN that the vehicles had been performing high-difficulty stunts in close formation when they collided. The person said one pilot sustained minor injuries, while all spectators remained unharmed.

The eVTOLs are part of China’s "low-altitude economy" initiative, which includes flying taxis, drone deliveries, and other applications in airspace below 3,000 meters. The sector is projected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan (US$207 billion) by 2025 and expand to 2.5 trillion yuan by 2035, according to a Hurun report citing Civil Aviation Administration of China data.

Xpeng has positioned itself as a leader in the field, with The Mirror reporting that the company had secured about 3,000 pre-orders for its flying car model in January, priced at around £220,000 (US$296,000) each.