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Robotic food servers. Check. Talking computers. Check. Video calls. Check. Flying
cars? They’re coming sooner than you might think
If you’ve ever felt like a hostage on the 405—unable to move due to traffic—and
wished you could fly over all the cars, you might not have to wait that long. The
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has been working behind the scenes with tech
engineers to produce a new type of aircraft known as “electrical vertical take-off and
land vehicle” or eVTOL. So far, the FAA has created a new category called powered
lift—a step the FAA had not taken since helicopters in 1940. There are still
hurdles ahead for eVTOL pioneers before the FAA allows commercial flights in
the U.S. For one thing, the FAA needs to determine requirements for a pilot to fly
the new aircraft.
According to MSN, eVTOL vehicles “lift off the ground like a helicopter before
flying at speeds up to 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour) with a range
of about 100 miles (161 kilometers). And these craft do it without filling the air
with excessive noise caused by fuel-powered helicopters and small airplanes.”
“We are just a few steps from the finish line. We want to turn what are now one-
and two-hour trips into five-minute trips,” JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation,
said. He is currently testing his air taxi in Marina, California.
Once approved, the flying cars will be able to carry up to 4 passengers from New
York to Manhattan in about 10 minutes.
Dubai is most likely to be the first country that will be permitted to begin
transporting passengers. This could happen by the end of this year. China is
also vying to make flying cars a reality.
