AirCar's co-founder says his company is "giving cars the freedom they
symbolised 50 years ago" after French electronic artist Jean-Michel
Jarre took off in Slovakia.
Jean-Michel Jarre is no stranger to pioneering technology - so it was
fitting he has become the first passenger to take off in KleinVision's
flying car.
Known for his laser show concerts - watched by
millions - he was a frontrunner in the electronic, ambient and new-age
genres of music.
And as a long-time supporter of future tech - he jumped at the chance
to complete two flights in the record-breaking vehicle at Piestany
international airport in Slovakia.
"One second you speak to the driver, and next, you are up there in the air. An amazing experience," he said.
The car has a 1.6 litre BMW engine although KleinVision's co-founder
Anton Zajac told Sky News: "As soon as the technology improves, we will
simply run on batteries."
He added: "We are bridging the gap between the road and the sky, giving cars the freedom they symbolised 50 years ago."
In
order to get that freedom, you'll need not only a driver's licence and a
pilot's licence but also a specialised two-to-three month flying course
in order to operate the AirCar. Mr Zajac hopes it'll hit the market in
around a year after being approved for flight in 2022.
It was made in Slovakia by Professor Stefan Klein and Mr Zajac but theirs isn't the only flying car taking off.
In the US, Alef Aeronautics's futuristic-looking Model A became the
first road-worthy flying car to receive approval for test flights from
the Federal Aviation Administration in July 2022.
It has already had nearly 3,000 pre-orders - and unlike KleinVision's AirCar, it is electric.
The start-up is backed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and can "drive on the
street, take off vertically when needed, and fly overhead above
traffic," according to Alef's website.
However, it is considered a
"low-speed vehicle" so it won't be able to drive faster than about
25mph and would still require US government approval to be tested on
public roads.
In March, KleinVision sold the rights to the technology that powers
its cars to a Chinese company called Hebei Jianxin Flying Car Technology
Company.
China is leading the charge in developing flying car
technology, although most of it focuses on electric Vertical Take-Off
and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles.
The UK government said it expected electric flying taxis to be a reality by 2030 in its Future of Flight action plan.
"This is not science fiction. It has already started," the report said.
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