Xpeng Aeroht: E-VTOLs collide during flight show rehearsal in China

During a rehearsal for the Changchun Air Show in Jilin, northeast China, two Xpeng Aeroht electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft collided and crashed. At least one person was reportedly injured, though no life-threatening conditions have been reported. The incident occurred during a formation flight.

Xpeng, through its Aeroht subsidiary, has significant ambitions in the emerging e-flight taxi market. The company is developing a modular flying vehicle called the Land Aircraft Carrier, a three-axle transporter that carries an eVTOL. First unveiled in October 2023, the Land Aircraft Carrier can recharge the aircraft between flights. Its all-wheel-drive “ground module” seats up to five passengers, while the “air module” accommodates two.

Aeroht’s first operational model, the Aeroht X2, was introduced in 2021, with public flights in Dubai following in 2022. In January 2023, the X2 became the first crewed eVTOL to receive conditional flight approval from Chinese authorities for test flights.

Videos circulating online show one of the aircraft losing stability and colliding with the other. The exact models involved remain unclear. Xpeng attributes the incident to “insufficient spacing between aircraft during formation flight,” according to the Chinese portal CnEVPost.

The broader implications for Xpeng Aeroht are not yet known. In late summer 2024, the company confirmed plans for the Land Aircraft Carrier, with series production and initial deliveries expected in 2026. To support production, Aeroht recently raised an additional $100 million, adding to a $150 million first tranche of its Series B funding secured in 2024. The company also recently appointed a chief financial officer, former Deutsche Bank banker Du Chao, a move interpreted by industry observers as a potential step toward an IPO.

Founded in 2013 independently of Xpeng, Aeroht has been a majority-owned technology subsidiary of Guangzhou-based Xpeng and its chairman, He Xiaopeng, since 2020. The subsidiary focuses on advancing eVTOL technology and integrating it into modular mobility solutions for urban and regional air transport.

carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com

This article was first published by Cora Werwitzke for electrive’s German edition.