Flying Cars Get Off the Ground

Once relegated to the realm of science fiction, the idea of flying cars and taxi-like services provided by aircraft may be part of the near future thanks to the efforts of a number of entrepreneurs, including Google co-founder Larry Page, companies such as Uber and Airbus, and the government of Dubai. Although each party developing unique machines, the concept is similar: lightweight commuter vehicles that are easy to fly. Many take off and land vertically.

An early pioneer in flying taxis was Kittyhawk (launched by Larry Page) which created a 12-rotor, single-propeller aerial taxi called Cora that is roughly the size of a Cessna 150. The craft can travel at speeds of up to 93 mph and has an all-electric range of 62 miles. Additionally, Kittyhawk worked on developing two vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the Flyer and Project Heavyside. In 2019, Kittyhawk entered into a strategic partnership with Boeing (which conducted a successful test flight of its own autonomous air taxi in early 2019) to collaborate on further projects. Kittyhawk and Boeing established a joint venture called Wisk Aero. In late 2022, Kittyhawk shut down operations, leaving Wisk as an active subsidiary of Boeing.

In mid-2021, American Airlines announced plans to invest $25 million in Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd., a UK-based startup. The airline is expected to buy up to 250 of Vertical’s four seat flying taxis when they become commercially available (perhaps as early as 2024). Additional investors in Vertical include Honeywell International, Inc. and engine-maker Rolls-Royce Holdings, PLC, as well as Microsoft Corp.’s venture capital fund. Moreover, the company has a preorder agreement with aircraft leasing company Avolon for up to 310 aircraft and Virgin Atlantic, which has options to buy between 50 and 150 aircraft. Meanwhile, United Airlines announced plans to purchase up to 200 flying taxis from Archer Aviation, Inc., a startup based in Palo Alto, California and another $15 million in Eve Air Mobility. Delta Airlines invested $60 million in Joby Aviation, Inc., affording the commercial carrier a 2% stake in the flying taxi company. Joby is also backed by Uber Technologies, Inc.

Other flying cars close to release or in development include Joby Aviation’s four-passenger piloted VTOL craft (which has a safety endorsement from the United States Air Force); Volocopter GmbH’s two-seat, electric Volocity; and AeroMobil’s two-seat, $1.6 million AeroMobil 4.0. Uber is also working with the cities of Dallas and Dubai to demonstrate a fleet of flying cars.

Flying cars are currently limited to users who fly them as a hobby, since the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to establish regulations for commercial use. Current models fly under a special FAA category for ultralight aircraft that does not require a pilot’s license and is limited to flight in rural areas.

Flying Car, Electric and Personal Aircraft Companies to Watch:

AeroMobil, www.aeromobil.com

Archer Aviation, www.archer.com

Joby Aviation, www.jobyaviation.com

Karem Aircraft, www.karemaircraft.com

Lillium Aviation, lilium.com

Moller International, moller.com

Pipistrel, www.pipistrel-aircraft.com

Vertical Aerospace Group, vertical-aerospace.com

Volocopter GmbH, www.volocopter.com

Wisk Aero, wisk.aero

Uber was working on a concept for airborne ridesharing called Uber Elevate, which it sold to Joby Aviation in late 2020. Uber maintains a stake in Joby Aviation, which will use the Uber app to offer air taxi rides. Test services may eventually launch in Dallas, Melbourne and Los Angeles. All three test sites are noted for frustrating levels of automobile traffic and road delays, as well as large numbers of high-income residents who might willingly pay for such services. Part of the concept is the use of state-of-the-art VTOL aircraft to pick up and drop off atop small “skyports” that will be conveniently located in dense urban environments.

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