Powered by a BMW engine and normal fuel, the AirCar flew for 35 minutes between two Slovakian airports in 2021, using runways for take-off and landing.
It took just over two minutes to transform from a car into an aircraft.
Now vehicles made based on its design will be used within a “specific geographical region” of China.
Hebei Jianxin Flying Car Technology Company, headquartered in Cangzhou, has purchased exclusive rights to manufacture and use AirCar aircraft inside an undisclosed area.
At least they bought the tech this time instead of just copying it. Shame for us though
The Chinese have copied car-building techniques through the JVs Western companies established in China. However, the Chinese have also been heavily funding research into batteries and electric cars for decades. So, to a much larger degree the electric bits are actually their own inventions.
We’ve had viable “flying cars” since the 70s. We call them helicopters.
Unfortunately for the futurists, there is a major floor with flying cars, and that’s the failure mode. If a car breaks down, it stops. If 2 cars crash, they come to a stop, generally in the road. If a helicopter breaks down, it will have a very bad time, even in the best case. If 2 helicopters crash, then both will almost certainly plummet to their doom, as well as risking those below them.
Because of this, the regulations are a lot stricter on flying cars. This makes them a lot less practical or economically viable. Any other variant will run into the same limitations.
If 2 helicopters crash, then both will almost certainly plummet to their doom, as well as risking those below them.
So, it’s about time to discuss mandatory wearing of helmets for everybody outside of a house.
What a terrible article. Trying to instill FOMO just because the Chinese are coming for it!!!, despite the technology being destined to be exclusively used for rich people’s toys.
“This brave new world of personal transport is acting as a great leveller,” said aviation consultant Steve Wright.
Compared to cars: Energy consumption is much higher. Physical space use is higher. Material use is higher. Steering difficulty is higher. Insurance rates are going to be much higher. (…)
Trying to instill FOMO just because the Chinese are coming for it!!!
Take a look at the posts OP makes – they seem obsessed with posting negative articles about China.
Take a look at the posts OP makes – they seem obsessed with posting negative articles about China.
I have absolutely no interest of posting negative articles on China or any country, company or person. Some friends of mine are Chinese, and they largely support these posts, just fyi.
You’re basically making the “I have black friends so I can’t be racist” argument. Your post history is like 90% articles like these:
- Chinese Communist Party-Backed Businessman in Fiji is a Top Australian Criminal Target
- Calls for sanctions against China after Beijing accused of cyber espionage in US and UK
- China’s Private Property Developers Face Persistent Funding Constraints, Fitch Ratings Says
- UK lawmakers claim ‘harassment, impersonation, and attempted hacking’ from China
- Millions of U.S. citizens’ online accounts have been caught up in a “sinister” Chinese hacking plot that targeted US officials, officials say
- Threats, fear and surveillance: Chinese students in the UK say they are scared to return home and worry for their families in China after being followed and harassed by the regime in Beijing
- Oxford University held training sessions attended by Chinese doctors accused of illegally harvesting organs
Like, this is not a normal amount of articles about China. This feels like an obsession. If I was posting a similar amount of pro-China articles, I’d rightfully be called a shill.
They successfully unloaded their failed company on some greater fool. These things will never be viable for anything other than being rich people toys.
China is the best chance for it to succeed though. It would be far more expensive to gain regulatory approval across dozens of western countries than to just bribe a bunch of CCP regulators and gain domestic access to millions of millionaires in one of the largest countries on Earth.
A “flying car” is just a small, cheap plane/helicopter/quadcopter
