Xpeng's flying car - Photo: YICAI
According to CNN, the accident occurred on the afternoon of September 16, injuring a pilot. In addition, one of the two cars fell to the ground and caught fire.
The incident occurred in Changchun city, Jilin province, China, during a rehearsal for a 5-day air show, scheduled to start on September 19.
Videos circulating online and shared on Chinese media show plumes of smoke rising from a flying car, while fire engines and ambulances rush to the scene.
The above-mentioned flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL), are products developed by Xpeng Aeroht - a subsidiary of the giant electric vehicle Xpeng Group from China.
Sharing with CNN, the company explained that the collision happened due to "insufficient distance", and one of the two vehicles "suffered body damage and caught fire when it hit the ground".
"All personnel at the scene are safe and local authorities have completed on-site safety measures in an orderly manner," a representative from Xpeng said, adding that an investigation is underway.
However, a company employee told CNN that the two cars performed difficult stunts in close proximity to each other. One driver suffered minor injuries, the employee said.
Xpeng's flying cars crashed and caught fire - Video: RT
eVTOL vehicles play a key role in China's plan to build a "low-altitude economy " - a sector that includes flying taxis, drone deliveries and other applications in airspace below 3,000m.
The "low-end economy" was first mentioned by Beijing in 2024, in the government 's annual work report, and is seen as a new growth engine.
According to Xinhua, the Civil Aviation Administration of China predicts that the low-altitude economy could reach a market size of 206 billion USD by 2025, and increase to 482 billion USD by 2035.
Manufacturers, including Xpeng Aeroht, are quickly seizing the market opportunity and capitalizing on its potential in a variety of industries, from tourism, logistics, agriculture to disaster relief. Xpeng Aeroht describes itself as Asia's largest flying car company on its official website.
Meanwhile, cities across the country are piloting drone deliveries for parcels, food, and medical supplies. By 2023, China will have more than 2,000 drone manufacturers and more than 20,000 drone operators, according to the People's Daily .
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xem-canh-o-to-bay-dam-nhau-boc-chay-o-trung-quoc-20250917163457255.htm
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