XPeng got a lot of headlines this week for the first global public flight of XPENG AEROHT’s XPENG X2 flying car. It was a fun event and you can watch a video of the milestone below. Seeing the flying electric car in the skies of Dubai definitely makes one feel … [continued]
When XPeng filed patents on a flying car and promised a 2024 launch date, it seemed like a joke. But now … ?
The term ‘flying car’ is sometimes used by laypersons when describing eVTOLs, but it’s usually inaccurate. Most eVTOLs are designed purely for flight and have no capabilities for road transport. Enter NFT Inc. and its mission to develop a vehicle that is capable of traversing both the roads and the … [continued]
It’s 2020. That means that despite the COVID-19 induced global financial meltdown, we’re supposed to have flying cars by now. Thankfully, there are still a few companies out there trying to make that dream a reality, and when they do, all of you who buy those electric flying cars will need a place to land, charge, and re-charge for the next leg of your flight. That’s where Beta comes in.
The mad scientists at Alauda are actually doing it — the Airspeeder flying cars are going to happen. What’s more, they’re going to happen somewhat sooner than later thanks to a seven-figure round of fundraising from Australian technology venture capital firms Saltwater Capital and Jelix, FOREX trading and money management firm Equals, and German logistics company DHL.
Will electric flying overtake high-speed trains?
The 21st century is already two decades old. Dude, why do we still not have flying cars? Pragmatic souls might reply that, since the heyday of 1950s science fiction, we’ve come to realize that flying cars aren’t particularly practical or particularly necessary, and that we might do better to solve the problems created by the earthbound variety before creating new frontiers for traffic jams and road rage.
It might run counter to what most believe, but electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft could be better for our environment than the congested wheeled mess we have on our roads. A few scientists have been trying to determine this and are on the side of the eVTOL aircraft.
I’m always surprised talking about electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft technology at a party. Most people think electric urban air mobility (eUAM) won’t happen for a decade. Apart from the sad fact I talk about such things at parties, their reaction is puzzling. While most people think eVTOL aircraft won’t happen for a long time, that is a serious underestimation. Many aviation heavy-hitters and startups are already testing them. Heck, you can even buy one now.
Elon Musk says the Tesla Roadster will be able to fly. Get out your slide rules and follow along with Wired to learn what it would take to make a Roadster fly.
