If one is to look at the infomercials of the 70s and 80s, one would often see that the “flying car” is something that will have been around by the early 2000s. Alas, that time period has come and gone and unfortunately, most cars still remain landlocked. But Airbus, the company famous for the massive A380 passenger plane, is setting its sights on flying cars.
“One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground, now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground. We are in an experimentation phase, we take this development very seriously.”
– Tom Enders, Airbus CEO.
Tom Enders, the CEO of Airbus, made that statement at the DLD digital tech conference in Munich, adding that he hoped the Airbus could fly a demonstration vehicle for single-person transport by the end of the year. Furthermore, he stated that Airbus has recognised that such technologies such as flying cars would have to be clean to avoid further polluting congested cities.
Airbus’s interest in flying cars was brought up last year when the company formed a division called Urban Air Mobility. The division’s aim is to explore concepts such as a vehicle to transport individuals or a helicopter-style vehicle that can carry multiple riders. Such modes of transportation would work similar to Uber, Careem, or other ride-hailing apps, where users can book the vehicle using an app.
Vahana, a single-passenger, self-piloted vehicle, is the Airbus concept for a flying car, seen as a viable solution for gridlocked commuters. This is the vehicle Enders wants to test by the end of 2017 and according to division CEO Rodin Lyasoff, it’s totally feasible.
Meanwhile, CityAirbus is the Airbus concept for a multiple-passenger, electrically-operated flying vehicle. The actual design is being kept secret, but the concept would use multiple propellers and look like a relatively small drone. At first, the CityAirbus transports would have pilot operators — to speed market acceptance. From the outset, however, the plan is for CityAirbus to be a fully autonomous vehicle, ahead of and waiting for enabling regulations and legislation that allow it to fly pilot-free.
Source: Airbus Press
