Have you ever sat in traffic and wished longingly that your car could take flight? Well, we’re not too far away from making flying cars a reality.
When Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was released 50 years ago, flying cars were a flight of fancy. Now, these futuristic vehicles are entering the outer fringes of reality.
Science fiction writers and filmmakers have been toying with the idea of ‘skimmers’ for decades. Movies like Star Wars, Blade Runner, and The Fifth Element all actively dangled a future. Their flying cars were not only a possibility but part of everyday life.
Tech giants such as Google and Intel and auto stalwarts such as Mercedes aggressively participating in the autonomous market. It is only a matter of time before self-driving vehicles become available.
Flying car concepts are developed throughout the globe. Airbus, Boeing, and Uber leading the charge.
Let’s check the list of flying cars that are in progress.
Germany-Based Volocopter
Germany-based Volocopter, for instance, has marketed its VoloCity craft as the first commercially licensed electrically powered air taxi, a vehicle that will eventually run without a pilot.
“It’s like an Uber Black or any other premium service,” says Fabien Nestmann, vice president of public affairs at Volocopter.
Air Mobility Startup Lilium
Germany’s air mobility startup Lilium is to go public in a deal said to be worth around $830 million has the aeronautics and automobile industry buzzing today. The world of flying cars just got another major injection.
According to a source at Lilium, the funds are to complete certification procedures, start production and launch commercial operation of its pilot-operated seven-seater Lilium Jet taxi in this year.
Japan’s SkyDrive
Japan’s SkyDrive – an urban air mobility solutions company, has successfully conducted the country’s first manned public demonstration of a flying car.
Terrafugia Transition
Terrafugia Transition received a Special Light-Sport Aircraft airworthiness certificate from FAA, giving it the green light for takeoff. A flight-only version of the craft is available to pilots and flight schools.
However, for these cars to hit the streets, and the skies, it will take another year as it still needs to meet road safety standards.
BMW AirCar
AirCar in a press release has said that after landing, at a click of a button the aircraft transformed into a sports car in less than three minutes. The flying car comes with a 160 hp BMW engine and it also has a fixed propeller and a ballistic parachute. According to AirCar, the flying car is capable of flying 1,000 km at an altitude of 8,200 ft. It can fly at a speed of 170 kmph.
Hyundai’s FlyingCar
South Korean carmaker Hyundai, said the firm had made some very significant investments in urban air mobility. He added, “ It’s part of our future solutions offering innovative, smart mobility solutions”.
The company showcased its flying car concept, developed in conjunction with the ride-sharing firm Uber, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2020.
Closing Thoughts
Flying cars will be a reality in cities around the globe by the end of this decade according to a leading car manufacturer. It will help to reduce congestion and cut vehicle emissions. Hope so!
Considering the incredible pace of the developments in the field of flying car technology, it is not wrong to assume that flying cars will be coming to pick us up right outside our 55th-floor apartment in a not-so-distant future.
