Tag Archives: flying car

Get ready to drive and fly with this modular Chinese flying car debuting at CES

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Numerous flying car concepts have come and gone. Some remain in the pipeline after decades and a few have evolved into enticing prototypes. There are just a handful that are slightly near realism and ready to take off. Not that these are iterations of the dream flying car I have, where I would sit in a normal vehicle driving to the office for an urgent meeting and when I hit traffic, I’d just shift from drive mode to flying mode and take to the sky, over the congestion below… Ah!

These ideas of flying cars we are seeing pop up at the mega tech fest in Vegas are VTOLs with electric propulsion, designed to just fly straight up – without a runway – when you need personal mobility of the future to flaunt. After the fruitful sight of the Helix, the first marketable eVTOL aircraft slated to ship in the US starting June 10, 2024; we came across the Xpeng AeroHT eVTOL Flying Car at the ongoing CES.

Designer: Xpeng AeroHT

We learn this eVTOL flying car is designed and developed by AeroHT electric aviation wing of the Chinese auto company XPeng. Unlike traditional ideas, this modular flying car has a different approach. It comes in a two-part design, one part car and other an eVTOL, so it seamlessly switches between land and aerial modes.

Dubbed the land aircraft carrier, it has an all-electric powertrain. Designed in a futuristic form factor – somewhat hinting at the aesthetics of the Cybertruck – this is a 6×6 all-wheel-drive vehicle you would want to drive all day. The car functions as a land aircraft carrier and when you want to reach the destination faster, you can reach out to a tiny two-person eVTOL helicopter called air module from the rear hatch and get going.

We were fascinated by the demonstration of the wonderful act of the land and aerial modes of the enthralling low-altitude aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing. Visioned with safety in mind – both for land and air modes – the eVTOL comes with manual and autonomous flight modes, making it one of the safest personal, electric flying cars. We tried to hold up some conversation with the team at CES, but we do not have information on the battery unit or pricing, we learned it is going into production and should be available for preorder soon. Shipping is likely to begin in China toward the end of 2025.

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This public eVTOL seats up to 6 people at a time for the quickest air-taxi rides in the city

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As a species that’s increasingly embracing the idea of space travel, it feels like our cities still depend too much on roads for transport. It isn’t just time for flying personal cars, it’s time for public eVTOLS that allow the masses to travel from one point to another. In comes Linker, a 4-6 seater eVTOL that helps slash commute times by a large fraction, and allows you to travel anywhere within the city in style. The autonomous eVTOL features wings on each side with a spacious cabin in the middle. Large windows on either side of the cabin offer occupants a stunning view of the city as they travel through the air, and the eVTOL also features stowage area for luggage and cargo, allowing it to work as more than just public transport.

Designer: Joowon Lee

Designed as a graduation project during Lee’s time at the Hongik University in Seoul, Linker aims at tackling the problem of over-urbanization that sees a city getting cramped with buildings and roadways not being able to accommodate the influx of the urban population. The eVTOL has the ability to take off and land on the terraces of buildings, offering an A-to-B transport solution that uses the sky rather than adding to the hubbub of crowded roadways.

The eVTOL opts for a plane-like architecture, with two massive wings and three adjustable propellers on each wing. The six propellers face upwards during take-off and landing and then rotate to face forward after the vehicle is airborne, shifting from a helicopter to an airplane format.

The Linker’s interiors propose an interesting shapeshifting setup too. The eVTOL can sit either 4 people in a traditional car/airplane-style seating arrangement, or seat as many as 6 people in an ellipse facing outwards. The former arrangement would come at a premium, while the latter would be more like a public option, akin to traveling by bus.

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Flying cars may soon become a reality as this test Model-A is open for Preorders

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When we were watching sci-fi TV shows and movies, we probably dreamt of eventually having those vehicles, gadgets, and other technology that they were showing off there. We’re in the year 2023 and while there have been some major advancements already, we still have some ways to go when it comes to things like hoverboards and flying cars. But apparently, we might be closer than we’ve been thinking as an aeronautics company has taken one step closer to having an actual flying car on the road, or rather, in the sky.

Designer: Alef Aeronautics (Open for Pre-Order Now!)

The California-based sustainable electric transportation company Alef Aeronautics was able to receive government certification to fly its Model-A flying car over some parts of the state, specifically Silicon Valley. It is apparently the first of its kind and is able to function like what a real car on the road would do but is able to do a vertical takeoff and fly through the skies. It may not the flying car that we’ve envisioned just yet because of The Jetsons and Back to the Future but it’s one step closer to having vehicles other than planes and helicopters up there.

It is an electric vehicle that looks like a customized luxury car or something that’s from one of those sci-fi movies where flying cars are the norm. The front and sides have some grill type of panels that probably have something to do with the technology that allows it to fly. Obviously they will not reveal yet much of their secrets but the CEO Jim Dukovny claims that their car is even safer than the regular cars on the road. You can actually park and use it just like a regular car and then when you need it to fly, you just do a vertical takeoff.

Obviously, something like this will cost a lot. For now the price tag is $300,000 and they’re still getting a lot of pre-orders. Eventually, they want to be able to bring it down to 100K and then 35K so that the “average consumer” will still get a chance to own one. There are still many steps to go including regulations in cities and countries that will have it, but it’s still a pretty exciting development to have.

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The world’s first crewed flying racecar, the Airspeeder MK4, is set to make its global debut in 2024

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Flying cars as a mode of transport have been long overdue, but Adelaide-based Alauda Aeronautics wants to run before it can walk. Meet the Airspeeder MK4, a hydrogen-powered crewed flying racecar that has a top speed of 360 km/h (225 mph), a range of 300 km (188 miles), and is all set to premiere at the 2024 Airspeeder Racing Series. It also holds the current record for being the fastest hydrogen-powered eVTOL ever built.

Designer: Alauda Aeronautics

The Airspeeder MK4’s aesthetic instantly stands out as more than just your average eVTOL. Look at it long enough and you’ll see some distinct similarities with a Formula 1 racecar. With propellers instead of wheels, this bad boy has the same aerodynamic form, with a carbon fiber monocoque boasting of front and rear wings, and a single-seater cockpit in between them. Four repositionable propellers sit where you’d expect the wheels, and can face either upwards, forwards, or sideways to help the vehicle lift off the ground, travel forward, and make dramatic turns in mid-air.

At the heart of the Airspeeder MK4 is the Thunderstrike Hydrogen Turbogenerator, a 1340 hp, 1000 kW turbogenerator electric engine specifically designed for use in eVTOLs. It gives the Airspeeder a range of 300 kilometers (118 miles) and allows it to reach top speeds of 360 km/h (225 mph) in merely 30 seconds. Arguably pretty important for a racecar, I’d say.

Now in its fourth iteration (hence the MK4 moniker), the eVTOL has a take-off weight of 950 kilograms. Once in the air, an AI-controlled gimbal thrust system allows the Airspeeder to maneuver in mid-air. Each propeller is mounted on a lightweight 3D-printed gimbal, easily allowing the Airspeeder to travel rapidly in any direction and even make sharp turns in the air.

The MK3 (its predecessor) has successfully completed over 350 remote-controlled test flights, even participating in two Airspeeder demonstration races in South Australia last year (2022). The company’s all set to have the MK4 make its mark next year with the first-ever Airspeeder Racing Series in the first-ever manned flying car race.

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ASKA showcases fully-functional prototype of its ‘street-legal’ flying car at CES 2023

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Although the public demonstration got called off due to dicey weather (thanks, polar vortex), NFT Inc. (not the crypto kind) was all set to reveal a fully-functional prototype of their ASKA eVTOL at CES this year. Armed with FAA and EASA certifications, the ASKA A5 is arguably the world’s first ‘street-legal’ eVTOL that can alternate between driving on a highway or flying in mid-air. I’d argue that given its design, you’d probably do a spit-take if you saw this massive machine cruising right beside you on the road.

“Our unveil at CES represents something that has never been accomplished in the world, but which humans have dreamed of for decades: a fully functional, full-scale prototype of a Drive & Fly electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing, a real flying car. We’re making history with ASKA™ and defining the next 100 years of transportation,” mentioned Guy Kaplinsky, CoFounder/CEO.

Designer: NFT Inc.

For the uninitiated (we wrote about ASKA back in 2021), the ASKA A5 is a car, eVTOL hybrid that can alternate between driving down roads or taking off and gliding through the air. The vehicle, which seats 4, sports a rather unique framework, featuring fold-out wings with rotors mounted on them. In-wheel motors give the ASKA A5 a top speed of 70mph when cruising in ‘car mode’, while offering better traction and aerodynamics, while existing outside the eVTOL’s fuselage for a maximized cockpit. However, if the idea of gridlock doesn’t sit well with you, the ASKA A5 transforms into an aerial vehicle in mere minutes. The ASKA A5’s wings unfold and its propellers arrange themselves in a hexagonal pattern, while the car dashboard inside transforms into an information-rich cockpit with maps, gauges, and meters. Once airborne, it can reach speeds of up to 150mph with a range of 250 miles on a full charge – not to mention built-in safety protocols for safe landings. However, you can’t really decide to take off in the middle of a highway – you still need to abide by FAA regulations by having a piloting license and using helipads or vertiports for taking off and landing. We still live in a civilized society, right?

A few more details have emerged about the ASKA A5, including its proprietary power system that features lithium-ion battery packs and a gasoline engine that acts as an onboard range extender. The ASKA A5 can take off in both ways, in a vertical fashion like a helipad, or even on a runway, which apparently is much more energy efficient. “In the U.S. alone, there are around 15,000 airfields with runways,” explains Maki Kaplinsky, CoFounder & Chair/COO. “Our innovative engineering enables ASKA™ to take off from a runway super fast using our unique in-wheel motor technology. This is a revolution in aviation, enabling ASKA™ to take off in less than 5 sec with a runway of 250 ft which brings the closest experience to an F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier for our customers”

On the timeline front, not much has changed for the ASKA A5. The company is still looking at a 2026 launch, which seems incredibly commendable considering the chip shortage and the looming pandemic that’s somehow still wreaking havoc in countries like China well into its fourth year. The eVTOL is up for preorder if you’ve got $5,000 for a downpayment on the $789,000 vehicle. It has roughly the same footprint as a large SUV, so if you’ve got open-air parking, you could totally have this sitting right beside your home. I’d probably make a risky bet that this will actually begin shipping before the Cybertruck.

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Jetson ONE flying car demonstrates the future of personal commuting

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Jetson wants to make everyone a pilot, at least everyone who needs to get to work and back home quickly.

Our highways are getting congested, and there is almost no easy solution to that, especially with the growing number of vehicles on the road. The most common quick-fix is to build more highways, though some are attempting to dig up new ground as well. There are also plans to build super-fast trains (some that also tunnel underground), but that only works if you happen to be going somewhere near a train station. They say that the shortest path from point A to point B is a straight line, but you can only really travel that path if you’re flying overhead over all obstacles. Naturally, that’s a utopian dream of many inventors and commuters, one that might be close to reality as far as one Swedish company is concerned.

Designer/Inventor: Tomasz Patan (Jetson)

Flying cars have been in works of science fiction for decades. The idea of flying freely in the skies, without having to share seats with dozens of strangers, has appealed to the imagination ever since man first dreamed of flying. In recent times, however, that dream has almost become a future necessity if the problem of traffic congestion and personal travel is to be ever solved.

The Jetson ONE is one (no pun intended) of those solutions currently in active development, and it may have just taken one step closer to making that dream come true. Company co-founder and inventor Tomasz Patan took a working prototype for a spin and commuted from home to work as if flying on a racecar turned helicopter was the most normal thing in the world. The company hasn’t released exact details yet, other than the regular commute time was slashed by as much as 88% while delivering Patan safely to his destination.

The vehicle is just the latest in the growing number of eVTOLs or electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircrafts being developed for personal use. Unlike a private jet and more like a helicopter, an eVTOL like the Jetson ONE takes off and lands vertically (hence the name), which saves up on having to put a runaway anywhere a flying car has to fly or land. And similar to a Tesla, many eVTOLs are designed to run on electricity rather than fuel to avoid one of the biggest sins of automobiles.

The Jetson ONE and others like it try to cut the time and hassle of commuting, but most of them work for only one person or at most two passengers. This raises concerns about the legality of driving (or flying) such vehicles, whether you’d need to be a licensed pilot to even use one. Of course, by that time, there might be new tests and certifications in place similar to driving land-bound vehicles.

These flying cars, however, might also introduce a new kind of traffic congestion given their very personal nature and design. Unlike a sedan, you can’t exactly “eVTOLpool” rides, which means there will be dozens, if not hundreds, of these flying cars zooming in the air in that future scenario. It might also mean a lot of manufacturing waste, just like what we have with regular cars, turning the idyllic dream into a sustainability nightmare. Fortunately, we’re still far from reaching that point, despite the success of this test flight, but it’s about time we prepare for the inevitable rather than being caught unaware like with self-driving cars.

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This luxurious flying car basks in uplifting interior comfort for high speed megacity travel

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Getting from point A to point B in megacities is going to be the major focus in the next decade or even earlier. Justified enough for concept, as well as prototype flying cars and electric VTOL’s to have gained attention in the recent past. Shanghai-based Pantuo Aviation is yet another bunch of aviation and electric vehicle professionals eyeing the early piece of the pie with thier sustainable human mobility design. The company’s goal is to develop secure, AI-enabled eVTOL passenger aircraft that ease us all into the future of mobility.

The autonomous Pantala Concept H electric VTOL passenger aircraft is capable of ferrying five people from one destination to the other at cruising speeds of 300 km/h. The flying machine has an estimated range of 250 km which falls right in the alley of practical eVTOLs proposed for the end of this decade. The futuristic ride has candard tilt wings – each one of them having large diameter ducted fans with foreplane.

Designer: Pantuo

The front wings have four ducted fans while the rear wing gets seven. So, there are 20 ducted fans in total and 22 electric motors to propel the whole thing forward at impressive speeds. Safety is at the forefront here with the multi-redundant core integrated avionics and power systems at work. The ducted fans will considerably reduce the noise and maintenance costs which is another huge advantage.

The Interior of the Concept H eVTOL is spacious and luxurious – something that can be compared to current-day luxury cars or airliners. The pilot will take command from a single front seat, accompanied by two rows of seats for the four passengers in the back. Focus on the interiors is on user-friendly interface and comfort for demanding customers. The concept resembles the seven-seater Lilium eVTOL flying Taxi having the ducted fans – slated for a 2024 release.

Along the same lines, Pantuo Aviation is targeting the 2027 deadline to get the flying taxi certifications. Tests of the prototype are expected to begin shortly later this year, and we are keenly watching the Concept H and other promising eVTOLs hit the skies for commercial use sooner rather than later.

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INSECTA Super Flying Car is powered by the wind and a sophisticated technology

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INSECTA FLYING CAR Information

Insecta is once concept design we want to see become a reality. It may not be in the exact form, but we just want to ride a flying car. Someday, it will happen as technology continues to advance at such a rapid pace.

Insecta gives the public a glimpse of transportation and mobility in the future. It will come with no limits where anyone can travel via land, sea, and air. We have seen several flying car designs before, like that single passenger flying saucer and the pelican-shaped EVTOL car. There’s also the Loki-inspired hover car and the Tesla Model + Blade Runner Mashup Car. This INSECTA design may be another alternative if and when the flying car technology goes public.

Designer: Marko Petrovic

INSECTA FLYING CAR Design

The INSECTA obviously gets inspiration from nature, but it uses sophisticated technology as per the designer. The appearance of the super flying car is a bit aggressive, especially with the red color paint. It seems the car also looks like a super-sized and fancier drone. If there is a luxury drone, this could be it. We can also imagine in other colors and finishes.

The flying car is propelled by a drone and an electric engine drive. The elises can charge it by simply expanding them up. However, you need to rotate them by 90 degrees to start charging as it transforms into a wind turbine. The energy generated by the turbine is then stored inside the energo.

INSECTA FLYING CAR

The idea is for the INSECTA flying car to carry up to four adults. There is no mention of a weight limit, but we imagine it won’t be an issue. The idea of the Insecta must be based on the science of flying insects. You see, there are insects like the bees that they say shouldn’t be able to fly because of their body and wing size. It should be impossible, but bees can fly. If they can, then the Insecta and other flying cars also can—someday. And yes, planes and drones have been around, so we strongly believe this idea will become a reality.

INSECTA FLYING CAR Concept Design

The drone technology is already almost perfect, and we’re just waiting for the time when bigger drones will be able to carry humans. We’ve seen the technology advance, at least, conceptually in the Polestar Duo that uses autonomous drone technology and the Lazzarini FD-One 6-propeller racing drone. The latter is actually similar to the Insecta when it comes to color and aesthetics.

INSECTA FLYING CAR Images

INSECTA FLYING CAR Concept

INSECTA FLYING CAR Details

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This single passenger flying saucer wants to take zero-emission electric vehicles to new heights

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Flying saucers have always been associated with aliens and conspiracy theories, but they might become more common in our skies if this out-of-this-world electric vehicle truly takes off.

There are two or three trends in the automotive industry that are trying to bring the future to the present. Electric vehicles, while not exactly new, still haven’t become the norm. Self-driving cars continue to tickle the imagination in some while striking fear in others. Some visionaries, however, want to take personal transport to the skies, and one startup is mashing ideas together in what may be the oddest looking flying “car” yet.

Designer: Zeva

The Zeva Zero definitely looks more like a flying saucer than a flying car, even if the goals and some of the technologies are similar to other attempts at making personal transport vehicles that traverse the skies to avoid earth-bound traffic. For one, it utilizes vertical take-off and landing, a.k.a. VTOL, more similar to a helicopter than an airplane.

On the one hand, this has the benefit of saving parking space, so to speak, because the flying saucer launches and lands in an upright position, contrary to what you’d expect from a flying disc. This even has the advantage of allowing the Zeva Zero to “dock” vertical against walls of buildings with a system that the startup calls the SkyDock. That said, the Zero actually goes horizontal when it comes time to actually move from point A to point B, taking advantage of the aerodynamics of a saucer being propelled by rotors.

Beyond the unique design, however, Zeva also has the big goal of making personal air travel more eco-friendly but turning the Zero from a VTOL to eVTOL by using eight zero-emission electric motors to drive its propellers. That said, a single flying saucer has the capacity for only one passenger, who is also the aircraft’s pilot, so the costs on the environment could still add up in the long run, especially in manufacturing these vehicles.

Nityia Photography

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This pelican-shaped eVTOL car wants to ace air mobility needs of our dystopian future

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A technologically advanced birdoplane concept relying on its propulsion system, mechanical legs and landing tracks. Seems like a pretty ambitious idea that’ll need more than just Elon Musk’s intellect to pull off!

The African region has its own set of challenges when it comes to delivering quick aid to remote locations. Hence comes into the equation the wave of eVTOL aircrafts that are capable of take-off and landing without the need of an airstrip or even level ground for that matter. This prompted a team of visionary thinkers to create an African tailored solution for the lingering African predicament. PHRACTYL, as the start-up is known is working on developing a personal aerial vehicle christened Macrobat. It’s named so because bats are the only flying mammals on the planet, and this pelican-shaped air mobility solution is also unique in its own rights.

As weird as the name of the eVTOL aircraft sounds, it’s nothing like you’ve seen so far, I bet. The tracks at the feet, the bird-like legs and the piloting/passenger cabin – all carry an element of the eerily cool. The Macrobat looks to have landed straight out of a sci-fi flick that’s mashed up a eVTOL and a technologically evolved robotic bird with enhanced consciousness. Multi-tracked feet of the mythical-looking bird means it can land on any terrain without hitch. The designers have taken a bold leap to give the flying machine a set of strong legs with hip, knee and ankle joints actuated by pretty strong motors. Once in the air, these legs will fold up to minimize any aerodynamic interference.

While landing down and taking off, the Macrobat will tilt back by around 45 degrees – just like most birds do. How the developers will address the weight distribution of the aircraft given all the different sets of variables like – weather conditions, wind speeds, the weight of the passenger/cargo or pilot error – is a question for another day. According to PHRACTYL, they can swap the design of the propellers seen here for a smaller form factor in future prototype designs. For the initial concept design, they claim the single-seater eVTOL to go at a speed of 112 mph and an average range of 93 miles. It will be able to carry a maximum load of 150 kg – be it the pilot, passenger or cargo. Yes, it can be piloted remotely too, so a passenger can sit back and enjoy the ride!

So far, the PHRACTYL team has not delved deep into the details of the Macrobat birdoplane, beyond these few renders and a scaled-down carved wooden model. They’re also working on some propulsion tests of the prototype, and the future will make the picture clearer on this bird’s influence on the transportation dominated by aerial vehicles.

Designer: PHRACYTL 

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