Those who grew up watching Robert Zemeckis’s popular film series released in 1985, ‘Back to the Future’, definitely remember the flying cars. The lead character Marty McFly was sent to 30 years into the future as part of the plot, where flying cars were the norm.
Now the world’s first commercial flying car is all set to hit the roads and hopefully the skies too.
PAL-V, the Dutch company involved in the making of the first flying car, has announced that its Liberty vehicle has been approved for road usage in Europe. Notably production in India is likely to begin next year.
The development has paved the way for a future not too far-fetched where spotting flying cars could just be ordinary.
PAL-V’s Liberty, a compact two-person aircraft that can travel on public roads, recently cleared stringent European road admission tests.
It is now allowed to hit the streets with an official license plate.
As the world’s first flying car, the Liberty starts with an entry-level price tag of $399,000, which is close to Rs. 3 crore in the Indian currency.
Powered by dual engines, the Liberty can reach a maximum speed of 160 kmph in drive mode, with the ability to accelerate from 0-100 kmph in under nine seconds. It has a range of 1,315 kilometers.
In flight mode, the Liberty can reach a maximum speech of 180 kmph and has a range of 500 kilometers.
PAL-V Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mike Stekelenburg said in a statement, “The trick in successfully making a flying car is to ensure that the design complies with both air and road regulations.”
Stekelenburg added, “We have been cooperating with the road authorities for many years to reach this milestone… It was very challenging to make a ‘folded aircraft’ pass all road admission tests.”
PAL-V has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gujarat to establish a plant in India. Production in India is likely to commence in 2021. Reportedly, production models from Gujarat will be exported to several European countries.
