The future is now.
Popular automakers — including Honda, Hyundai, and BMW — are racing to get their new flying car models on the market with a new age of travel on the precipice of taking off.
The new category of aircraft has been termed eVTOL — which is an acronym for “electric vertical take-off and landing,” in reference to the way the vehicles are able to fly.
eVTOLs take off and land vertically and have the ability to hover — making them more akin to helicopters than cars or planes.
There is a wide range of concepts presented by the different companies with each modeling their own version of the future of air travel.
BMW Skai
BMW’s Designworks has developed a four-seated, Hydrogen-powered, electric vehicle designed as an “urban air mobility system.”
The “Skai” has six electric motors and will reportedly reach speeds of 118 miles per hour.
As for safety features, the craft is able to stay airborne on four of its motors should two malfunction — and in the case of total engine failure, the Skai is outfitted with a parachute.
A website for the BMW product calls it, “one of the most exciting things to happen to the mobility industry since the invention of the automobile.”
Toyota Joby eVTOL
Toyota purchased Joby Aviation’s eVTOL for $398 million back in 2020 — and the investment is close to paying off.
The vehicle has completed three of the five stages needed for certification, according to Top Gear.
Joby’s eVTOL will be able to fly at speeds up to 200 miles per hour, according to the manufacturer.
The flying vehicle features a V-shaped tail, six propellers, and two seats.
Last November, the car manufacturer announced it would be accelerating efforts to bring its unique product to market.
“Since its founding, Toyota has been working to realize a society in which everyone can move freely,” the company wrote in a statement at the time.
Honda eVTOL
Car and plane maker Honda has also announced the development of its own — still unnamed — hybrid eVTOL.
Honda said it’s seeking to establish “a large ‘mobility ecosystem’ centered around Honda eVTOL.”
Design images shared by the company show a propeller and turbine-equipped craft that looks a lot like a seaplane.
The company shared on its website that its long-term goal is to create a unification between ground, air, and sea modes of transportation.
Honda claims that its hybrid eVTOL will be able to fly at close to 250 miles per hour.
Hydunai Spernal S-A2
Hyundai debuted its sleekly designed SA-2 back at the 2024 CES trade show.
The flying vehicle looks more akin to a traditional helicopter but is replete with the creature comforts of a luxury automobile, according to the manufacturer.
SA-2’s eight rotors and V-tail design allow it to reach cruising speeds of 120 miles per hour while being almost entirely soundless for the four people aboard, according to the company.
Hyundai has previously stated that the S-A2 will be ready to fly by 2028.
Porsche and Boeing eVTOL
Both Porsche and Boeing have for years promised to deliver a “flying car” design after first teasing the collab in 2019.
The planned design would not look out of place on the set of “Star Wars” or a “Batman” flick — but could be part of everyday urban travel in the near future.
Detlev von Platen, a board member at Porsche, said the company would be looking “longer term” into the “third dimension of travel,” Top Gear reported.
Stellantis The Midnight
The Midnight, designed by Archer Aviation, will be exclusively put out by automotive industry giant Stellantis — which shelled out $150 million for the rights to make the eVTOL.
The electric craft will be able to travel 100 miles per charge — a shorter range than other hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, according to its plans.
This design looks like a standard small plane except for its 12 propellers, which face up in the manner of helicopters.
Archer Aviation believes the craft will contribute to the “urban mobility” revolution — highlighting that The Midnight is designed to perform short back-to-back flights of 20-50 miles.
Suzuki SkyDrive
The SkyDrive, a lightweight, three-seat, eVTOL, is Japanese automaker Suzuki’s entry into the unofficial flying car competition.
The craft looks like a helicopter topped with a cross pattern of axles and motors, according to design renderings.
SkyDrive will top out at 62 miles per hour — and is expected to make an official debut this year.
Xpeng AeroHT eVTOL
The unique buggy from Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng is a “human-carrying drone” and comes equipped with its own Land Aircraft Carrier, according to design plans.
The aircraft fits snugly in the trunk of a custom SUV for storage and travel — and is ejected and prepped for flight through an automated process.
The two-seated “drone” gets ejected from the trunk of the SUV before it can cruise about the sky.
Over 3,000 people have pre-ordered the Chinese-made contraption, which is close to getting regulatory approval, Top Gear reported.
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