Two flying cars had a mid-air collision in China on Tuesday, causing one to catch fire when it hit the ground.
The incident, which reportedly left one person injured, took place during a rehearsal for the Changchun Air Show in the north-eastern Jilin Province.
The Xpeng Aeroht flying cars, or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, crashed into each other due to “insufficient spacing” in the sky, according to a company statement.
“All personnel at the scene are safe, and local authorities have completed on-site emergency measurers in an orderly manner,” the statement read, however CNN reported that an unnamed company employee had revealed that one of the pilots sustained minor injuries.
Videos on social media show appear to show one of the flying cars in flames with smoke billowing from it after crashing to the ground at the airfield.
Xpeng Aeroht, which is a subsidiary of the Chinese automaker Xpeng, said that an investigation is underway.
The company said in January that it plans to produce 10,000 flying cars annually from 2026, having already received 3,000 pre-orders.
Measuring 5.5 metres by 2 metres, the vehicle can fit in a standard parking space, while also being capable of folding up to fit in the boot of a specially designed car called a “Land Aircraft Carrier”.
The eVTOL industry in China has seen rapid growth in recent years, having received the backing of the country’s Communist Party.
China’s so-called “low-altitude economy” is forecast to reach a market size of $206 billion this year, according to the country’s civil aviation regulator.
Other countries are also hoping to launch eVTOL services in 2025, with US-based Archer Aviation recently conducting the first test flights for a flying taxi service in Abu Dhabi.
A company spokesperson told The Independent last year that its Midnight craft has similar levels of safety to commercial airliners, while also being 100-times quieter than a helicopter.
In the UK, the Department of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority have announced plans to improve regulations to allow eVTOL craft to operate.
In April, the government announced £20 million in funding to support plans to launch the first commercial flying taxi services by 2028.
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