Slovakian company AeroMobil has unveiled the AM NEXT, calls the company calls world’s first four-seater flying taxi. Its official launch could happen as early as 2027. “We are excited to finally be able to announce AeroMobil’s second revolutionary flying car model,” says Patrick Hessel, AeroMobil’s CEO. The most impressive thing about this four-seater car is how quickly it changes function: in just three minutes it changes from a small aircraft to a car and back again.
Following Aeromobil 4.0, the world’s first production flying car, AM NEXT will disrupt and democratize the regional travel market.
Patrick Hessel, AeroMobil’s CEO
The company’s main goal is to save time for all passengers who want to travel between major cities. Flight distances can range from 160 to 804 kilometers. They also intend to put an end to the much hated traffic jams. The AM NEXT is not the Slovakian brand’s first prototype of a futuristic flying car.
As recently as 2017, Aeromobil unveiled the 4.0, a luxurious personal vehicle that could carry two people. In the air, it could reach speeds of 360 kilometers per hour. With its wheels planted on the ground, the speedometer reached 160 kilometers per hour. It will provide a better, and in many cases previously unavailable, solution to trips in the 100-500 mile range
The AM NEXT will reshape and democratize the regional travel market. It will offer a better, and so far unattainable, solution for travel between 160 and 800 kilometers.
Patrick Hessel, AeroMobil’s CEO
Although Hessel has not yet revealed possible flight values, he says that in North America this new transportation market could be worth approximately €63 billion. It will still be a few years before the hybrid is officially released to the general public. AeroMobil will be traveling around the United States to introduce the 4.0 vehicle to investors and onlookers.
With its flying cars, the company aims to make personal transportation more efficient by offering the choice of transport on the road or in the sky. But it is not only Slovakia that is making big efforts to develop the technology required for flying taxis. In Silicon Valley the prototype of a car that can take off as early as 2022 is being built.
ASKA’s four-seater vehicle has six thrusters and is mostly electric, with a small gas generator to recover the spent battery. It is designed to take off and land vertically, but also has wheels to be driven like a traditional car. “When you land, various parts bend and the vehicle becomes just like a car,” explained David Hoover, ASKA’s production manager, during a futuristic technology event in Las Vegas.
Japan’s Skydrive owns the prototype of an air cab that has already spent thousands of hours in flight. It looks like a drone, with two seats. It has eight individual engines and eight thrusters. “It’s quite small because we want it to be able to land in the same places as cars,” explained Nicholas Zart, the brand representative, during the event.
This air cab is autonomous and the company’s main goal is to popularize it within the tourism field, with a special interest for experiences that offer panoramic views on cruises and popular destinations such as the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Canyon. They hope to have it working as early as 2025.
