18-rotor-blade drones were displayed at Rome airport, which will fly over the city’s notorious traffic to reach the centre of town in 15 minutes.

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A Chinese start-up, Xpeng Heitech, says it will deliver flying cars to customers in 2024. The electric flying car will be able to drive more than 600 kilometres on the road with a single charge. The start-up was founded in 2013 and employs 400 people.

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The world’s first urban airport specifically for flying cars and drones will be developed in Coventry under UK-government-backed plans to cut road congestion and pollution.

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Air Mobility Urban will be the largest deployment of air vehicles in urban environments with taxis that fly and giant drones to carry cargo. It is a consortium of 17 companies, organizations, and municipalities across the United States and Europe. The project takes final form next year with more than 100 hours of air vehicle test flights over cities in the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.

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The Dutch company PAL-V has had its flying car Liberty approved for use on roads in Holland (but is not permitted to fly). The Liberty is a gyrocopter with rotors on top to provide lift, and a separate propeller engine on the back to provide thrust. It needs a runway of at least 590’ for takeoff and 100’ for landings. In driving mode, the Liberty can travel up to 99 mph, and in flight mode, its max speed is 112 mph.

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For an eVTOL to qualify for Uber’s aerial ridesharing program, it must be able to carry one pilot and four passengers at a speed of over 150 mph for 3 continuous hours of operation. Uber now has five partners who have committed to delivering eVTOLs that meet these specs, with another five or ten still to come. Uber has also partnered with NASA and the FAA to develop the air traffic management system to coordinate their flying fleet, and has established the design of “mega-skyports.

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The history and future of flying cars! Smartphone components gave rise to autopilot control of drones, and the large drones that are flying cars or taxis. Four current challenges and time lines: Autopilot data (2022), Autonomous flight (2023), Batteries for flight time (2025), Government regulation (2029).

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The German company, Volocopter, revealed its first commercial autonomous flying taxi. The 18-rotor, electric vertical takeoff and landing VoloCity can travel 35 km at 110 km/hr, carrying two passengers and their hand luggage.

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Melbourne joins Dallas and Los Angeles as pilot cities trialling Uber’s flying taxi service, Uber Air. Test flights start in 2020, with commercial planned for 2023. Uber Air is an “urban aviation ride-sharing product”, which will ease traffic congestion on the ground.

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In the 2020s, many small autonomous, electric airborne vehicles may be operational, especially on city-center-to-airport routes. Some are drone-like, with 4-18 rotors. Most are fixed-wing craft with propellers that point upwards for vertical takeoff and landing, and tilt forward for flight.

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