Passengers could have the option of traveling in flying cars within the next few years, two companies told lawmakers Tuesday in a hearing titled, “Urban Air Mobility: Are Flying Cars Ready for Take-Off?”
Representatives from the two companies — Terrafugia and Uber — both said they envision making flying cars available soon through ridesharing services, which they said would be far cheaper than owning the vehicles that could cost several hundred thousand dollars.
Anna Mracek Dietrich, co-founder and regulatory affairs representative of Terrafugia, said it wants to bring its first product, the Transition, to market next year. Terrafugia has been developing flying cars since 2006, and Dietrich said the Transition is designed to take off and land at airports, but also drive on roads and be parked in a garage.
The Transition is essentially a car with foldable wings that runs on the same gas used by cars. It can also be flown up to 400 miles at 100 mph maximum speed, and driven at highway speeds. It also includes safety mechanisms, including a parachute, crumple zone, “advanced avionics,” and rearview cameras.
Terrafugio is also designing an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft called the “TF-2,” that integrates ground and air transportation. It would cover a range of about 200 miles and would be able to connect people to both urban and rural areas.
Dietrich said the corporation is anticipating a cost of $30 for a 10-minute flight. Private ownership would cost about the same as an airplane, around $400,000, and she said the company is already taking orders from customers.
Eric Allison, head of aviation programs at Uber, said his company will begin testing vehicles for aerial ridesharing services in the future through its “Elevate” initiative. Allison said the company has chosen Dallas Fort Worth and Los Angeles as two of its launch markets, due to high traffic congestion in those locations. The company plans to begin testing the vehicles in 2020, and begin certified commercial operations in 2023.
“Once economies of scale are achieved, we could operate at rates cheaper than owning and driving your own car,” he said.
He showed a video during the hearing of a rider requesting a ride and being directed to a “skyport” where he could board the aircraft.
Michael Thacker, executive vice president for technology and innovation at Bell also talked about his company’s work with partners including Uber, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“While we are not ready to share our program timelines, we believe viable commercial operations are possible in the mid-20s,” he said.
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, who chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, said Congress needs to start thinking about how these new modes of transportation will fit into the current federal regulatory scheme.
“Although it will be a while until we see widespread ownership and use of personal vehicles that can both be driven and flown, these advances are visible on the horizon,” he said. “As policymakers we can examine how we can support such technological advances while pursuing a safe, reliable, and efficient regulatory framework.”
