3 countries now have flying cars, with more hoping to follow
- Indonesia announced flying cars to hit the capital city by 2045
- Three other countries also have the tech on the horizon
- The future is finally here
Published on Feb 27, 2024 at 5:41 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Feb 27, 2024 at 9:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
As it feels like the futuristic tech we’ve been waiting for is finally upon us, as three countries now have flying cars with more soon to follow.
Indonesia’s new capital city are hoping to have them up in the air by 2045.
An authority from Nusantara Capital City, known as Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) in Indonesian, Bambang Susantono, revealed this is in line with their smart and sustainable city plans.
READ MORE! Watch as self-flying air taxi completes its first public flight
“Buses will be driverless, and by 2045 there will even be flying cars. It’s really advanced,” he said.
He explained further that this smart-city model has the goal of creating a carbon-free environment.
Ultimately this should be a tick on the to-do list of the county’s efforts to help tackle global climate change.
It was previously made public that IKN would be testing a fleet of flying taxis – much like Dubai.
That is to come ahead of the 79th Indonesian Independence Day celebrations later this year on 17 August.
Three other countries’ plans to adopt flying vehicles have already taken flight.
Per Reuters reports in October of last year, Chinese EV maker, Xpeng Inc., embarked on its maiden public flight in Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates launch was their attempt to launch the electric aircraft on the international market.
A completely autonomous eVTOL, there’s no steering wheel or ‘yoke’ or display screens.
It can reach speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph).
Xpeng says the X2 will be able to cut a 4.5 hour-long car journey down to just 20 minutes.
The company also says the X2 emits zero carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile in January of 2022 in Slovakia, the Slovak Transport Authority issued a certificate of airworthiness for a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle.
The AirCar completed 70 hours of demanding flight tests, with flying colors, per Emerging Europe.
The prototype completed more than 200 take-offs and landings automatically.
These stringent tests met the requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Back to Asia and fast-forward to February 2023.
Japan conducted its first unmanned outdoor flight of a flying car.
According to the Japan Times this was under the strict approval of the Transport Ministry.
It traveled about 400 meters and reached an altitude of 30 meters (98 ft) above the ground in the space of three and a half minutes.
A vehicle for two, it’s 5.6 m (18 ft) wide, 1.7 m (5.6 ft) high, and weighs 430 kg.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
