Imagine a world where you can hail a flying car through your smartphone and it picks you up from the rooftop of your office. This vision of the future is no longer a fantasy, but rather a realistic scenario that driving the Japanese government’s “flying car” project.
Fumiaki Ebihara, the government official in charge of the project, expressed optimism saying “This is such a totally new sector Japan has a good chance for not falling behind.”
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the flying car concept, many believe that it will take several years before people are zipping around in the skies using these vehicles. This is partly due to many obstacles such as battery life, the need for regulations, and safety concerns.
But global interest in flying cars is growing rapidly with dozens of similar projects popping up around the world, especially with the prototypes being developed. A flying car is defined as an aircraft that’s electric, or hybrid electric, with driverless capabilities, and can land and take off vertically, also known as EVtol (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.
The concepts for flying cars promise improved advantages over traditional helicopters, which are expensive to maintain, noisy, and require trained pilots.
Major players in the automobile industry such as Google, drone company Ehang, as well as traditional car manufacturers like Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp., have invested in flying car technology. Uber has also shown interest in developing EVtol machines, despite being met with resistance from the Japanese government to offer ride-hailing services in Japan.
Although the pursuit of flying cars is an ambitious and innovative endeavor, there are still many skeptics, including Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Inc. In a recent interview, Musk expressed concerns about the practicality of flying cars and the noise and air disruption they would cause.
Despite the skepticism, Uber continues to push forward with its UberAir service, with Tokyo being considered as its first launch city followed by Los Angeles, Dallas, and other international locations.
There are many challenges faced in the development and operationalization of flying cars, including obtaining the necessary government approvals and addressing safety concerns. The devices might need parachutes to soften crash landings, or might have to explode into small bits to ensure smaller pieces hitting the ground.
Implementing air mobility on a mass scale is no easy feat and will require extensive innovation and collaboration, but the rewards for significant progress in this sector can reshape transportation and urban landscapes, as well as address major societal challenges such as traffic congestion and pollution.