(Yicai) Sept. 17 -- At least one passenger was injured when two electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles developed by the flying car unit of Xpeng Motors collided with each other during an air show rehearsal in northeastern China.

“At the Changchun Air Show rehearsal this afternoon, two eVTOLs participating in the formation flight exercise collided due to insufficient flight distance,” Xpeng Aeroht, their developer, said yesterday. "One landed safely, while the other caught fire upon landing due to body damage. 

“All on-site personnel were safe, and competent agencies have completed the on-site handling work orderly, with the specific cause for the accident still under investigation," the Guangzhou-based company added.

The injured passenger was taken to a nearby hospital and is not in any danger, Yicai learned.

Established in 2013, Xpeng Aeroht develops modular flying cars, tiltrotor flying cars, and eVTOLs. The eVTOL model at the show can make five to six flights on a full charge and has a 270-degree panoramic cabin, uses a single lever control design, and can fly at an altitude of 300 to 500 meters.

In addition, Xpeng Aeroht's Land Aircraft Carrier made its first public flight last November, attracting widespread attention. Costing around CNY2 million (USD281,015) each, it consists of a six-wheeled road vehicle, the mothership, that carries and deploys a two-person eVTOL aircraft. The firm has received more than 4,000 orders.

Xpeng Aeroht broke ground on a modular flying car factory in Guangzhou last October, which should be completed in the fourth quarter of this year and start mass production and deliveries next year. The Land Aircraft Carrier has also obtained a special flight permit in the United Arab Emirates and began manned airborne tests on Sept. 11.

Editor: Martin Kadiev