The flying car has a long, and often quixotic, history, but we’re getting tantalizingly close to bringing the dream of the 1950s to life, albeit in ways Grandpa never anticipated. Aeromobil is hoping to finally get flying cars on the road in sheer numbers, and it might pull it off, provided its promises hold up.
Mashable has a preview of Aeromobil’s coming announcement of the flying car they’re taking to market, and even what we know so far is impressive. It’s got a hybrid electric/gasoline engine, a clever method of getting around the problem of needing both gasoline and jet fuel, and more importantly, that caters to Aeromobil’s stated goal of making it easier to get around areas with poor infrastructure. Because the car requires a fairly short runway and even shorter landing strip, that might be invaluable for the developing world, places where disaster strikes, and other areas where you need mixed-use vehicles.
Of course, there’s still the matter of what the Aeromobil will cost you. And, of course, the question of regulation: As of right now, it appears that in order to actually put this thing in your garage, you’ll need both a driver’s license and a pilot’s license. But that might be a small price to pay for a future with flying cars.
(Via Mashable)