Flying Car
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Most flying car concepts we've seen don't bear much resemblance to the traditional automobile. Instead, they forge a path forward with futuristic design and new ideas. Italian firm Lazzarini Design has bucked the trend with its conceptual flying car based on a 1920s Italian luxury vehicle. The design studio used the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8—a short-lived Italian luxury car from the 1920s—as inspiration for the classy, yet futuristic flying car. The proportions and round edges look very space-age, as one would have imagined a flying car in the early to mid-20th century. Although it...
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Oregon-based Samson promises "flying sports car" for next year
If Oregon-based Samson sticks to its timeline, there will be a real flying car on sale next year. Samson revealed the Switchblade Wednesday and promises the functionality of a regular car and the ability to take off and fly in one package. The company's creation is a three-wheel vehicle with a...
Sean Szymkowski -
The sky's the limit: flying car racing series under development
Australia bid goodbye to local automobile manufacturing this past October as the final Holden Commodore rolled off the assembly line, but perhaps the country will be at the forefront of another transportation sector: flying cars. One Aussie's idea isn't an unmanned transportation pod, however...
Sean Szymkowski -
Terrafugia sold to Geely, promises flying car by 2019
Zhejiang Geely, the Chinese holding company that controls the Volvo, Lynk & Co., Geely and Lotus brands, announced on Monday plans to fully acquire American flying car startup Terrafugia. Terrafugia, based in Boston, Massachusetts, became one of the first firms in the flying car space when it...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Uber partners with NASA on flying car management
With the rise of a new way to transport human beings, potentially through self-operating flying cars, the industry will need new regulations to ensure safe operation. On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported Uber took a step to realize a streamlined future where flying cars operate in sync with other air...
Sean Szymkowski -
Airbus' autonomous drone taxi takes a step towards reality
The idea of a flying car has been around nearly as long as the modern automobile itself, but only now are companies beginning to realize the dream of personal transportation via flight. One of many companies in the hunt is Airbus, but it's arguably further along than others. Digital Trends reports...
Sean Szymkowski -
America’s Passenger Drone is the latest startup to announce plans for an autonomous flying vehicle for personal use. Passenger Drone’s design is still in the prototype stage but the company has already demonstrated the vehicle’s flying abilities, made possible by 16 electric rotors and lightweight carbon fiber construction. Those 16 rotors are all powered separately to ensure the vehicle can stay in the air in case there’s an issue with one of the rotors. The vehicle is slightly larger than a compact car, can fit two adults, and takes off and lands vertically. Its...
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Lilium flying taxi company secures $90M in funding
German flying taxi company Lilium is determined to reinvent the way humans are transported. To help it take flight, the company announced it has secured $90 million in new funding. The $90 million figure is much higher than its first round of funding, which raised $10 million, according to Tech...
Sean Szymkowski -
Great Scott! A DeLorean flying car may actually happen
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a cult classic and an icon, despite a short life for the car itself. Its appearance in "Back To The Future" cemented its legacy. Unlike the movie car, real DMC-12s couldn't fly despite its gullwing doors. Soon, a DeLorean could take to the sky. Paul DeLorean, the nephew of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Daimler invests in Volocopter flying car company
It seems Daimler wants a piece of the flying car market as it has sunk a $30 million investment into the German start-up Volocoptor. Volocoptor's ultimate goal is to develop a battery-electric flying taxi that could revolutionize transport. The goal is far from being realized, but Daimler, the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Moller not dead, puts flying car prototype for sale on eBay
Back before flying car startups were commonplace, engineer Paul Moller sunk millions of dollars in attempt to develop a commercially viable flying car capable of vertical takeoff and landing. He’s now been working on flying cars for over four decades, during which time a handful of prototypes...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New flying car concept seeks to revolutionize personal transport
While some automakers look towards today's infrastructure of roads for the future of transportation, multiple companies are instead looking towards the sky. One of these is Neva Aerospace which used last week's 2017 Paris auto show to reveal its take on the future of transportation, and it's yet...
Sean Szymkowski -
The idea of flying cars has likely been around since first vehicles began putting the world on wheels. However, despite leaps and bounds in technology, the flying car is still largely a pipe dream—save for a few daring companies aiming to redefine air transportation—but Toyota has now thrown its hat into the winged-car ring. A report from Nikkei claims Toyota has officially provided funds for a group of its top engineers that moonlight on a flying car project. The 30 Toyota employees call themselves Cartivator and have been pursuing flying vehicle technology since about 2012...
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Production-ready AeroMobil flying car debuts at 2017 Top Marques Monaco
There are a surprising number of companies hoping to deliver the first flying car, and one of the most promising is Slovakia's AeroMobil which used this month’s 2017 Top Marques Monaco to debut a production-ready flying car. AeroMobil was only established in 2010 but its founder and lead...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Uber says flying taxis will be in service by 2020
Uber on Tuesday provided the first details on an on-demand flying taxi service to be called Uber Elevate. During the opening day of a three-day presentation in Dallas, Texas, Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden said the ride-sharing giant hopes to have the flying taxi service up and running in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Meet the Kitty Hawk Flyer, the flying car backed by Google founder Larry Page
No, this isn’t a late April Fools’ Day prank. A startup by the name of Kitty Hawk and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page has given us our first look at a flying car that’s in development and promised on the market by the end of 2017. Well, it’s not so much of a car but...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lilium flying taxi completes successful maiden test flight
While the practical challenges to a flying car are countless, there are numerous startups attempting to be the first in the world to sell one to the public. Most are essentially small planes that can fold their wings and drive around like a regular car, while some feature more creative designs and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
This flying car has 18 rotors and will supposedly be ready soon
Ready for takeoff? E-Volo is. The German firm's design is the latest creation in a trend of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) creations in the aeronautics industry, and it's called the 2X. E-Volo is a start-up that has been working on electrically-powered "multicoptors" for a few years now, but...
Sean Szymkowski -
Every year we get a new version of the same concept. It's a glimpse into a future that isn't here yet, but we do seem to be inching ever closer to it becoming reality. I'm talking about the flying car, and the newest one comes courtesy of a joint effort between two major names: Airbus and Italdesign. It's a concept called the Pop.Up, and there's a slick video showing just how the craft is envisioned to operate. Basically, there's a skateboard-style lower attachment for traveling along the ground, and above this is a detachable pod with four rotors attached. And power comes from batteries and...
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Dubai to offer flying taxi service using autonomous drones?
Testing is already underway in Dubai on a new means of zipping through a crowded city. It involves an autonomous drone capable of carrying a passenger... and some brave test subjects. Dubai's Roads and Transportation Authority has been examining the drones and provided a demonstration of the...
Jeff Glucker -
Dutch firm to offer flying 'car' you've always dreamed about
Imagine if you could get around traffic? I don't mean simply by plugging your destination into Waze and whipping down side streets. No, I mean avoiding traffic on the ground altogether by taking to the skies. It's the dream that most of us have had since we first watched "The Jetsons" or "Back to...
Jeff Glucker -
Uber inches closer to its dream of electric flying machines
Uber has lofty dreams. The ride-hailing company is looking to expand beyond the confines of ground-based transportation and bring its passengers into the sky. It plans to do so with electric flying vehicles that will be accessed via a terminal of sorts, and the company just inched a bit closer to...
Jeff Glucker -
Airbus skunk works developing single-seat autonomous aircraft
Every couple of years there seems to be a new company taking on the daunting task of developing safe, easy-to-operate aircraft for private use, some of them even capable of being driven on public roads. However, the latest effort, known as Vahana, has a bit more credibility than most. That’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Airbus shows off an autonomous drone taxi concept
Do you love the movie "The Fifth Element"? (That's probably a dumb question because of course you do.) One of the early scenes that grabbed our attention had to be the shots with a packed cityscape filled with thousands of flying machines soaring through the sky. Perhaps Airbus was watching Luc...
Jeff Glucker