Manufacturers

Lilium

Where: This Munich, Germany-based company was founded in February 2015 by four aerospace engineers from the Technical University of Munich, one of whom, Daniel Wiegand, is now CEO. The company is being funded by investors as well as the European Space Agency. Who: The electric flying taxi start-up hired Frank Stephenson, the designer of cars…

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PAL-V International B.V.

Headquarters: The Netherlands What: The Dutch manufacturer revealed the PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) Liberty Sport Edition at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland. Part car and part gyroplane, the three-wheeled Liberty Sport has two Rotax airplane engines that help it rise to more than 11,000 feet in the sky and fly…

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Aston Martin

Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin Unveil Flying Car Concepts In July 2018, the Rolls-Royce aircraft engine manufacturer unveiled a concept eVTOL vehicle at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. The hybrid-electric vehicle is designed with six electric-driven propellers and wings that rotate 90 degrees to enable vertical takeoff and landing. The hybrid eVTOL is designed…

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Terrafugia

Headquarters: Woburn, MA. The company was acquired in 2017 by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the Chinese automotive giant that owns Volvo and Lotus. What: The Transition’s been in development since 2006, when Terrafugia was launched by MIT grads. This folding-wing, two-seat roadable aircraft is powered by the Rotax 912ULS piston engine. Designed to fly like…

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Volocopter GmbH (formerly e-Volo)

Headquarters: 50-employee company based in Bruchsal, Germany. What: Based on drone technology, the Volocopter 2X is a two-passenger eVTOL powered by nine discrete electric battery packs, each of which powers two rotors. Approved as an ultralight vehicle in Germany, it recharges in 40 minutes. The 18 rotors placed along a ring above the Volocopter 2X’s…

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Flying Car Companies Jockey for Position

While the general public is still wrapping its head around the idea of self-driving cars, companies worldwide are preparing their flying cars for takeoff. Most, but not all, of the flying car concepts are VTOLs. Technological innovation in drone technology, electric batteries, propulsion systems, machine learning, and sense-and-avoid technology are making flying cars within reach….

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