Flying Car Debuts at Tokyo Tech Event: Capable of Land and Water Landings
Debut of Flying Car at International Tech Event in Tokyo
For the first time, a flying car made its debut at an international tech event in Tokyo. The event took place in the parking lot of Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center in the city’s Koto Ward. The car, named ‘Hexa,’ has been developed by the American company Lift Aircraft Inc.
Hexa features 18 propellers installed on its frame. It measures 4.5 meters in length, 2.6 meters in height, and weighs approximately 196 kilograms. This single-seat car is capable of flying over both land and water surfaces. In India, companies like Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki, among others, are also working on electric flying car projects.
- Chinese company XPeng unveiled its flying car in January 2024.
XPeng Aero HT was unveiled at CES 2024. Its production is expected to start in 2025 on a large scale. It is a fully electric piloted aircraft capable of vertical takeoff/landing and flying at low altitudes. It supports both manual and autonomous flight modes.
- Hyundai’s electric flying taxi will be available by 2028.
Hyundai’s advanced air mobility company Supernal launched its electric flying taxi at CES 2024. The S-A2 is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. It can fly at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour at an altitude of 1500 feet.
It is designed for trips of 50-60 kilometers. It features 8 tilting rotors and a distributed electric propulsion system. Supernal plans to launch the vehicle commercially in 2028.
Three Companies Developing Flying Cars in India
- Mahindra to Launch India’s First Air Taxi Automobile company Mahindra Group’s Chairman Anand Mahindra recently confirmed in a post on Twitter that India will get its first electric air taxi by the upcoming year. He also shared images of a prototype model. This electric air taxi will be developed under the initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.The air taxi will be a two-seater aircraft. It is expected to offer air travel services to the public in the future. Its maximum range will be 200 km, with a cruising capacity of 160 km per hour.
- (You provided only one company; if you have more, please provide the additional ones, and I’ll include them.)
Three Companies Developing Flying Cars in Asia
- India’s First Hybrid Flying Car, Capable of Flying from Rooftops Chennai-based Vinata AeroMobility is developing India’s first hybrid flying car. The company claims that it will be capable of flying even from rooftops without the need for runways. The car was showcased to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for the first time.The hybrid flying car can fly up to 120 km per hour and stay airborne for up to 60 minutes. It can take off from a flat surface up to 3,000 feet. The two-seater car weighs 1100 kg and can take off with a maximum weight of 1300 kg. The company claims a range of up to 100 kilometers.
- Maruti Suzuki to Introduce Affordable Flying Cars by 2025 Maruti Suzuki, in collaboration with Japanese startup SkyDrive, is developing flying electric cars. The company aims to provide urban areas with electric flying taxi services. The company is considering manufacturing them in India.Kentaro Ogura, Assistant Manager of the company’s Global Automobile Planning Department, announced in an event, “If we come to make in India, the flying car will be as common as cars here. It is expected to be launched at the 2025 Osaka Expo in Japan.”
- (You provided only two companies; if you have more, please provide the additional ones, and I’ll include them.)