Are we going to fly to work in next 3 years?
At the end of October coming from China, an Xpeng start-up presented a project of a flying car – Voyager X2. So far, the company was involved in the production of the electric car. As a result, the eastern firm was Tesla’s biggest competitor in the Chinese market. However, they decided to take a step forward and challenged all other companies from the automotive industry. By 2024 the Xpeng goal is fly cars mass-producing. In addition, the estimated cost of the single invention will not exceed 150,000 dollars. Interestingly, the manufacturer designed the machine to be able to move on public roads and in the airspace. Inside we will find sits for two people, who will be able to enjoy the flight for a maximum of 35 minutes.
Is it possible that the costs are so low?
In July this year, the Pentagon Motor Group published an article entitled: “High Flyers: We’ve calculated the cost of owning a flying car”. As we read, the costs of owning a flying car do not only apply to buy it. For example, the law requires to have a license, not to mention insurance or operating costs. The agency calculated the total cost including the car prize and annual maintenance to £ 536,000.
This is not the first time
For years, we have heard that companies are trying to create a drone that will be able to transport us from point A to point B. So far a flying taxi was tested in Dubai, 2017. The Prince of Dubai took a Volocopter flight, created by a German star-up. The prototype was able to reach 100 km/h and stay in the air for 30 minutes. However, something went wrong, because the product was still not introduced to the market.
Similar attempts have already been taken by companies such as Toyota, Airbus, AeroMobil, and Uber.
What is the obstacle to flying cars?
Almost every country is currently introducing new laws regarding airspace. As a result, the drone’s popularization affects private individuals too. When we are talking about flying cars, we need to take into account the fact that the airspace is controlled by each country separately. Even in the European Union there are countless entities responsible for flight safety. Is it possible for flying cars to be operated by private individuals? The answer is yes if aviation licensing becomes more popular. Now, it is most likely possible that artificial intelligence will replace people at leading flying cars to make it widely available to humans.
Sources:
- https://www.pentagon-group.co.uk/news/how-much-will-flying-cars-cost
- https://businessinsider.com.pl/technologie/nowe-technologie/latajace-autonomiczne-taksowki-w-dubaju-pierwszy-test/xwc6mhg
- https://businessinsider.com.pl/technologie/nowe-technologie/airbus-i-audi-testuja-latajace-taksowki-w-ingolstadt/x9x96s9
I think the idea of flying cars is almost out of science fiction movies, it’s hard to believe that it might be possible in our lives and on our roads soon. However, I believe that it can be dangerous without introducing the previously detailed rules for moving them and marking the routes to move in the air. It could also be weird and uncomfortable seeing drivers fly outside our window. But this is still a distant future.
I agree with the other comment. I honestly can’t see this being possible for so many reasons due to safety and regulation reasons. It would be one thing to have, say, designated roads like cyclists do, but to be able to fly in the same lane as ground-based vehicles seem like a recipe for disaster for all parties involved. I can only imagine the number of lawsuits and distracted driving cases for people focused on something flying above, behind, or in front of them. We will have to see how they can fix these issues along with how licensing would work. I don’t think it would be the same as an ordinary pilot’s license.