Xpeng Aeroht Responds to Changchun Airshow Collision: Specific Cause Still Under Investigation

On the afternoon of September 16, an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) incident occurred at the Changchun Airshow, drawing significant attention. According to on-site spectators, two eVTOLs belonging to XPeng Huitian collided during flight, causing one of them to crash. At least one passenger was injured and sent to the hospital for treatment, with no life-threatening condition reported at present.

That evening, XPeng AeroHT officially responded to the incident. The response stated that at the time of the incident, Guangdong AeroHT had completed the airshow rehearsal and was conducting formation training with two aircraft. Due to improper distance control, the two aircraft made contact. One aircraft landed safely, while the other caught fire during landing due to fuselage damage. The company emphasized that all personnel on site were safe and that relevant authorities had promptly completed emergency response. The specific cause of the incident is still under further investigation.

As the core carrier of the low-altitude economy sector, eVTOL has recently received dual support from policies and capital. Last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for Innovation and Application of General Aviation Equipment (2024–2030)," further invigorating the industry's strategic layout for the low-altitude economy. With multiple advantages such as pure electric drive, low noise, high cost-effectiveness, easy maintenance, high safety, and environmental friendliness, eVTOL is gradually surpassing traditional helicopters to become a new focus of low-altitude transportation, attracting numerous enterprises to actively enter the field.

Since 2025, with the intensive introduction of multiple supportive policies, the entire low-altitude economy industry has shown an accelerated development trend. Just six days before the incident, XPeng AeroHT’s “Land Aircraft Carrier” flying car announced it had received 5,000 orders and 1.5 billion yuan in prepayments. This news caused a stir in the industry and was seen by outsiders as an important sign that the low-altitude economy is moving from concept verification to commercial implementation.

Image source: Xiaopeng Huitian flying car

This order not only confirms Xiaopeng Huitian's breakthrough progress in the commercialization process but also helps the entire industry gradually shake off the skepticism of "powerpoint car manufacturing," truly entering a quantifiable and executable commercial stage. For this reason, the recent "dual machine contact" incident has pushed Xiaopeng Huitian, already in the spotlight, to the forefront, sparking widespread discussions within the industry about safety standards, technology validation, and industry regulation.