Flying electric cars? Yes!

Are flying cars a reality?

What until recently seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming reality. We are entering the era of flying cars. Many leading car companies are already conducting development research into electric vehicles of this type - for example, Porsche, Toyota, Suzuki, Tesla and Boeing. A flying car with satisfactory performance can already be bought for a not insignificant price of £425,000, but we can expect that the number of different vehicles of this type will steadily increase during this decade, which will drive their prices down significantly. For example, a small electric flying vehicle for $70,000 from the Swedish company Jetson is already available for pre-order, but the flight in it will only be possible for 20 minutes. If this lower price also seems unavailable to you or you would like to taste a flying car right now, don't worry, we have you covered - an exceptional car-drone miniature that we describe at the end of the article.

Are they really cars or car-shaped drones?

Most projects are currently focused on the construction of a drone with seats for 1 to 5 passengers. Among the companies working on the development of these vehicles, apart from those already mentioned, there are many others, such as Skydrive, AirCar, Bellwether Volar, Leo Coupe and probably the most advanced XPeng so far. The drone-based vehicles of these companies will of course not be roadworthy, but they will probably be able to "park" in the garage thanks to precise eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) systems. The reason for focusing on this type of construction is most likely due to demand and production costs. In terms of demand, while true flying cars already exist, i.e. capable of both driving and flying, such as the AeroMobil, they were not enthusiastically received as they required a runway to fly. On the other hand, the cost barrier probably means that few companies conduct research on VTOL cars capable of driving on the road. Exceptions include the hybrid Terrafugia TF-X, the all-electric Alef Aeronautics Model A, and the sixth-generation XPeng/HT Aero. The latter has folding propellers on both sides of the car and has a good chance of being the first electric car of its kind on the market (see image below). Its sale is scheduled for 2024 and then it will probably belong to one of the most developed designs due to XPeng's experience. Without a doubt, it will not give such extraordinary performance as the Firenze Lanciare jet-powered flying car, but it will still be much better than the modest single-seater Jetson mentioned at the beginning.

Is a pilot's license required for a flying car?

Will a pilot's license be required for such vehicles? While this may depend on the country and future regulations, it appears that currently very small aircraft generally do not require a pilot's license.

How safe are flying cars?

What about security ? Each of the manufacturers takes this problem seriously. All the aforementioned flying vehicles have a special parachute system, for example. Also, the design of the aircraft propulsion system may significantly limit the possibility of a critical failure, as, for example, a complete stop of one engine will not make the vehicle impossible to land.

Hip hip hooray - SURPRISE!

And now a surprise or a gift if you prefer . As promised at the beginning, we have a cheap way for you to get a taste of a real flying car that is not only capable of flying, but even just driving on the road. Well, there is a good company that currently produces decent quality miniatures of such a car, which you can buy as a toy and play alone or with your child, while developing your and your child's imagination. Anyone who has already tried a drone knows how addictive this activity can be, especially since it can be easily extended with additional functions - for example, you can attach something to it. However, in the case of this flying car, we get an amazing experience from the drone itself, which gives a very tangible insight into the future of the automotive industry. Unfortunately, a toy of this kind, which would be economical and at the same time of decent quality, is available only on the American amazon.com, from where transport is very cheap (on average USD 10 to Europe) and free of customs duties. If you are interested in this vehicle, we recommend that you also buy accessories, especially a good quality lander. Links to the car and the lander respectively are included below:

BUY: Flying Drone Car

BUY: Drone Lander