Driverless cars this, driverless cars that. It feels like all anyone can say about the automotive industry at the moment is how we’re all getting ready to step out from behind the wheel.
It might be time to put your foot back on the gas, however, with the first flying cars to go on sale later this year. Seriously.
A device that’s almost two decades in the making, Slovakian firm AeroMobil will demo its latest flying car design at the Top Marques Monaco supercar show on April 20.
Amazingly, it then plans to start taking pre-orders for the futuristic vehicle later this year, with the latest model having undergone hundreds of improvements and changes over past designs.
Letting you make the bizarre choice of road or sky for your morning commute, the flying car will reportedly comply with both road and aviation regulations and manage 430 miles by air on a single tank of fuel.
Those travelling by road will have to refuel every 310 miles, but lets face it, if you’ve got a flying car you’re not going to be doing too much driving.
Related: Driverless cars are coming to London’s roads
Crafted with a lightweight steel framework with a carbon coating, the AeroMobil vehicle will have a take off speed of around 90mph, with its wings folding back into the rear of the car when on the ground.
“By combining aero and car functionality in perfect harmony it heralds a new era in efficient and exciting travel, offering users an unparalleled choice of transport on the road or in the air,” the company said ahead of its official release.
“AeroMobil aims to make personal transportation vastly more efficient and environmentally friendly by allowing significantly faster door-to-door travel for medium distance trips and in areas with limited or missing road infrastructure.”
According to AeroMobil co-founder Juraj Vaculik, the vehicle will be made available for order during 2017, although pricing and exact release dates still remain unclear.
“We got a positive feedback from several experts in avionics, which appreciated design and the technical solution of the process of transformation,” he said.
“Our first model looked quite bizarre and it would have problems in the regular use. That was a signal to improve the concept of the flying car in a way to become an integral part of the regular road traffic.”
WATCH: Go Pro Hero 5
Would you ride in a flying car? Let us know via the comments below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
