(CBS News) Concept automobiles rarely accurately represent the final vehicles that will be used for transportation. They go too far. They demonstrate what future autos might theoretically be. So, hold off on getting too enthusiastic about Volkswagen’s Hover vehicle concept. So perhaps start to feel a little giddy. After all, it is a hover automobile.
Volkswagen, which in English means “people’s car,” issued a challenge to Chinese citizens asking them to submit their visions of what the future automobile should look like. The company put together three models, including the Hover Car, after sorting through more than 119,000 suggestions that were posted to the project website.
The Hover Car is a two-seater, zero-emission car that drives on electromagnetic road networks while hovering above the earth. In China’s busy traffic hubs, it can identify other vehicles on the road, and thanks to its compact size, parking is simple.
Unrealistic, for sure. However, it might not be as much as you think. Electromagnetic highways have been promoted by auto designers worldwide. The creation of a real electric roadway has been the focus of certain researchers at Stanford University. Even while a true hover automobile may be long off, it might not be that far.
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VW produces flying cars, right?
The V.MO has two propellers and eight rotors in an X-wing configuration to create lift (horizontal flight). Additionally, the aircraft is 36.75 feet (11.2 meters) long and 34.8 feet wide (10.6 meters). The drone’s motor and battery specifications were not disclosed by VGC, but the business claimed it could fly for up to 124 miles (200 km) before the battery needed to be replaced.
Initial flight testing will start later in 2022, and by the summer of 2023, VGC hopes to conduct more sophisticated flight tests. VW Group China promises a four-seater interior and autonomous flying capabilities in the finished product. Yes, the V.MO could fly independently, allowing users to control the vehicle without a pilot’s license.
However, according to VGC, the V.MO would first be introduced as a high-end alternative to VIP or air shuttle services for Chinese high-net-worth individuals. Future versions for affluent urbanites will be made accessible soon, and we anticipate that commercial versions will also be developed to meet the needs of the general public.
We always find it thrilling when a major automaker tests the limits of mobility in the future. In 2021, French automaker Renault teased the Air4 concept in an effort to commemorate the 60th birthday of its 4L hatchback. Since 2017, several startups like Klein Vision have been developing their AirCar prototype. The Slovak Transport Authority recently granted the AirCar a Certificate of Airworthiness to perform more test flights. The AirCar is a real flying car that you can drive and fly at your command.
Is there actually a car that hovers?
Eight specialists put in more than 100,000 hours translating creative ideas into mathematical models, which resulted in the creation of the prototype. Co-founder of Klein Vision Anton Zajac told CNN that the “AirCar” runs on “fuel sold at any gas station” and is powered by a 1.6L BMW engine.
According to Zajac, the aircraft can fly at a maximum operating altitude of 18,000 feet.
The flying vehicle successfully completed a 35-minute test flight between Nitra and Slovakia’s capital Bratislava in June. After touching down, the vessel was transformed into a vehicle and taken to the city’s core.
In Slovakia, the aircraft achieved its 142nd successful landing, its maiden intercity flight, in June of last year.
According to test pilot Stefan Klein, the creator of the vehicle and head of the development team, “AirCar certification opens the door for mass manufacturing of very efficient flying automobiles.”
According to Kourousis, “this will progress in generating a product that can reach the market” if the company involved in the certification has developed a business case.
“The size is going to provide a lot of new prospects for employment and the development of new technologies,” he continued.
The PAL-V Liberty, a gyroplane that may also be used as a road vehicle, is one of the several vehicles currently in development. According to the website of the Dutch company, the vehicle was given a full certification foundation by the EASA but has not yet passed the final “compliance demonstration” step.
What is the price of a hover car?
For a toy, its $92,000 price tag is obscenely high. Although the company has sold out of all of the 2022 manufacturing, it is still accepting orders for 2023. Are you itching to board a Jetson One eVTOL?
How does a hover vehicle operate?
In a scene straight out of Marty McFly Goes to China, Volkswagen and China’s “If it ever becomes a reality, The People’s Project’s latest creation might bring us closer than ever to the flying DeLorean that we’ve all secretly yearned for since the first Back to the Future movie.
A recently published video depicting a simulated journey across Beijing in a wheel-shaped, two-seater pod floating several feet above the road’s surface ably illustrates the concept. A joystick in the center is used to control it. Dashboard data is shown holographically, including speed, mileage, and engine hints.
So how does it function? Based on electromagnetic suspension, the concept. In order to achieve the hovering effect in real life, electromagnetic mineral strips would need to be buried beneath the roads. Thrusters on the back of the car would move it forward.
The idea for Volkswagen’s hover car came from an unknown girl who responded to a crowd-sourcing call for ideas. We assume she hasn’t been publicly identified because she’s a minor, timid, Volkswagen is safeguarding its intellectual property, or we just can’t understand Chinese. Over 33 million internet visitors have so far submitted 119,000 ideas since the initiative’s launch in China last year.
The idea was introduced at the Beijing Motor Show alongside a few other finalists, including the “Smart Key,” a smartphone that can start your car’s engine, and a “Music Car,” which changes colors depending on the music the driver is listening to.
“According to Volkswagen Director of Marketing Luca de Meo, “We are no longer just developing cars for, but also with, customers and at the same time launching a national dialog which provides us a profound insight into the design preferences, desires, and requirements of Chinese customers.”
When will flying automobiles be available?
Additionally, any congestion would just increase already high levels of airplane emissions. Without the additional tangle and stench of flying-car traffic jams, aviation already contributes 2.5% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is the 21st century’s unique twist, which is not surprising. In terms of CO2 emissions, aviation would come in sixth in the world “According to Bednarek, who views climate change as an existential threat to aviation in general, let alone flying automobiles, aviation is under fire as a major emitter.
The transportation environment may finally be prepared for flying cars despite so many barriers, largely because of wealthy investors. A number of businesses, including Terrafugia, Klein Vision, Pal-V, and Aeromobil, have declared intentions to introduce true hybrid flying cars in the near future that can both plow through the air and cruise down the freeway. Bell Nexus and Joby Aviation are focusing on all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, which are scheduled to make their debut in 2023. Joby Aviation bought Uber Elevate in 2020. In Northern California, Atkins notes that “a handful of planned communities are being developed with a model of really having solar panels to charge eVTOLs for a commuter service to go in and out of the Bay region each day.
But even as it appears that flying automobiles are about to make a breakthrough, a brand-new class of aircraft that are being utilized more and more for news, entertainment, surveillance, and package delivery are swiftly clogging the skies. The largest challenge, according to Atkins, is switching from voice-based to data-based air traffic management. She refers to a data link as a system that allows airplanes to speak with one another directly, with little to no human involvement.
Air traffic control will require a significant overhaul before drones, flying automobiles, or air taxis can be used often. Atkins proposes an air traffic management system called Urban Air Mobility (UAM) that is primarily autonomous. With the aid of a UAM, aircraft could communicate with one another without human intervention, as well as with a central command center and neighborhood-based centers, all of which together could manage thousands of simultaneous flights over a metropolitan region.
Regarding the impending tornado of air traffic, which will include flying cars, Bednarek is not so optimistic. “She cites the visual, noise, and carbon pollution as reasons why she believes that the environmental impact would actually be pretty repulsive to most people. “Even if we could, I’m not quite sure we should go there. But she admits that flying automobiles are still futuristic “Those who are passionate about flying are likely to have this as their most recurring dream.
It was George W. Fairchild, not Sherman Fairchild, who cofounded IBM, contrary to what was originally written.
What if I don’t have a pilot’s license?
A stronger case can be made for you during the identification verification procedure if you have a credit card, a business card with your photo on it, mail or prescription medication with your name and address on the label, voter registration, or even a library card. Another smart move is to report your ID as missing to the police.
In 2022, will there be flying cars?
However, even those who are willing and able to spend that much money on one of the future cars will have a long wait. Only three of the 105 eVTOL jewels from the Jetson ONE flying cars’ initial batch, which was scheduled to be delivered in 2022, are still available.
The new commute video, which includes pictures from the pilot’s perspective as well as footage above, to the side of, and in front of the eVTOL car recorded by a drone flying to document its movement, can be used to pass the time for prospective purchasers and less affluent enthusiasts.
Can I purchase a flying car right now?
If traveling by plane to work has always been your fantasy, it might become a reality very soon.
Flying cars are swiftly emerging as the next big thing. Businesses are constantly searching for new market segments.
Plans exist for flying taxis and vehicles that can operate both on and off the road. These vehicles will serve as the foundation for future transport.
According to the company’s website, its mission is “to make the sky accessible for everyone with our safe personal electric aerial vehicle.”
Jetson One’s eight electric motors, which together produce 102 horsepower, allow it to travel at a top speed of 63 mph. The vehicle has a 20-minute continuous running time.
Although the business doesn’t state what the car’s top altitude is, it can launch vertically and stay in the air.
A throttle lever and three-axis joystick are provided for controlling the vehicle.
Safety has not been compromised in any way. The technologies employed in race vehicles served as inspiration for the vehicle’s chassis. The business added that even if an engine fails, it will still be able to fly. A LiDAR sensor that can follow the landscape to avoid obstructions, an emergency function that takes control of the aircraft, and a parachute with a quick deployment system are all included.
Jetson has further deliveries planned for 2023 even though it’s already sold out for 2022. If you’re interested, you may make a $22,000 deposit to reserve one online.
But that’s not all. Since it is sent as a partially built kit, you must finish it at home.