It seems like our future with the Jetsons isn`t too far away. Meet ASKA eVTOL, the world`s first ready-to-use eVTOL available to the general public. It is about the size of an SUV and can also be driven on the roads like a normal car. It seats about 4 people in its cockpit and comes with wings that fold directly into the eVTOL design when you`re on the go. If you ever get stuck in traffic and have the general feeling of wanting to get high and escape traffic jams by flying, ASKA offers you this option. Its wings fold laterally to reveal 6 propellers that allow the ASKA to fly in the sky. Although, for obvious reasons, the manufacturers of the ASKA require you to switch to airplane mode on certain vertical launch and launch pads. Earlier this year, the FAA approved the first flying car, Robb Report reported. The car in question is Transition`s “rolling plane”. Its manufacturer, Terrafugia, is based in Massachusetts and is owned by the Chinese company Geely, which also owns Volvo and Lotus. The FAA issued the two-seater with a special light sports aircraft certificate. When a company develops a new car, it has more than 100 years of data on how people drive, use and behave in road vehicles. Although the country is divided into 50 completely different and sometimes contradictory states, it has 50 well-defined and proven training and test drive programs.
There is nothing like it for flying cars, let alone flying as a singular activity. Becoming a private pilot takes months, and there is nothing in the current training program to drive a flying car, so the steps needed to develop, test, and implement such a training program could take years. All this before we even consider the role of government in the safety and regulation of private vehicles. Even the best, carefully planned deployment can quickly go awry if legislators intervene. Without a regulatory framework in which to operate, flying automakers will have to set their own rules and guidelines, and government involvement can quickly turn the Wild West industry into a bureaucratic chore of hearings and selected bodies. Still, Colburn says a number of potential customers were interested in a car-like transition aircraft and are likely able to tow to and from an airport to fly or simply push back into the hangar when they`re done flying. The $250,000 “far north” transition price, Colburn says, could discourage them, especially when comparing other much cheaper LSA-certified aircraft. You will also need a pilot license. And getting insurance for flying cars seems like a no-brainer, but such insurance doesn`t currently exist. Both modes offer incredibly different and diverse interfaces inside. The ASKA looks a lot like your traditional car when you`re on the road, with the dashboard showing the road ahead, your route map, displays like speedometer and battery level, and even entertainment and communication elements that allow you to play videos, listen to music or make phone calls.
All of this disappears when you switch ASKA`s airplane mode. The entire dashboard display instantly transforms into a more pilot-friendly interface, giving you an idea of where you`re going, your altitude, and the environment around you. The eVTOL is even said to have semi-automatic technologies that make it much easier to navigate your “flying car”. I guess they would intervene more in bad weather, and in case of an emergency or low battery, the ASKA is equipped with safety protocols to make sure you`re safe on land again. In addition, flying a rusty Jalopy is much riskier than driving, even for a qualified pilot. If Vidal had succeeded in getting manufacturers to build and sell affordable family airplanes in 1934, his grand vision of an airplane in every garage would likely have failed when the cost of maintenance began to blow family budgets.
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