This Flying Car from Volvo’s Sister Company Will be Available in 2019
Jul. 21, 2018When you think about a flying car, the sky is the limit. So far we have already witnessed abunch of prototypesincluding theKitty Hawkbacked by none other than Google’s co-founder Larry Page while automobile majors like Tesla andRolls Royceare shedding their share of sweat to get a working model of flying cars.
Aeronautics companies like Boeing are also in the race while many others are dedicated to the niche of cars with wings. One such company is Terrafugia, a startup founded by MIT graduates which are making a convertible flying car. This car-cum-aircraft called “Transition” is alsocapable of folding its wings and running on the road like a normal car. It wouldn’t be surprising if James Bond’s hubristic smirk pops up in front of your eyes as you think of the concept.
The company said that it will beready with production units of the Transition by next yearas it revealed the prototype of a new two-seater flying vehicle this week. The flying car ispowered by a hybrid enginewhich features a lithium iron phosphate battery instead of standard lithium-ion batteries. It uses a single propeller to stay mid-air.
Terrafugia, which is owned by the same Chinese automobile conglomerate asVolvo, says that the Transition will be able toreach a top speed of 100 mph in the airwith a flying range of 400 miles (~645km). The engine will provide a “brief burst” of power for an easy lift-off while the vehicle also gets a “Boost” mode to increase acceleration while flying.
Transition also getssafety features like seat belts and airbagsas well as a slew of technical assists backing its security. The flying car also gets three rear-view cameras to help pilots see what’s behind. It also gets afull-frame parachute systemwhich can be toggled in case of an emergency.
