![]() British automobile company Aston Martin, South Korean car maker Hyundai and Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng are also among those who have set their eyes on flying cars. A self-piloted passenger drone by Boeing completed its first test flight in 2019. The idea of commercial flying taxi services has been drawing more interest in recent years. In the statement, the company said that in its first phase, the Flying Tiger is likely to be pitched to the high-net worth tech-savvy Chinese customers as a premium product for use as VIP air shuttle services. ![]() Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said: “The launch of this stunning validation model – the V.MO – is the first of many remarkable milestones on our exciting journey towards urban air travel, and a perfect example of our ‘From China, For China’ mission.” Once the vehicle is finally ready, it will be able to carry four passengers plus luggage up to a distance of 200km. The company said that tests on the prototype will be carried out through 2022, before it is subjected to even more advanced test flights in 2023. Two propellers assist in horizontal flight. There are eight rotors helping the prototype aircraft in vertical lift. The Flying Tiger has been produced as part of the Vertical Mobility project launched in 2020 by Volkswagen China to “explore the next generation of mobility solutions, including the urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace.”Īccording to the company, the prototype has a luxury x-wing configuration measuring 11.2m in length and 10.6m in width. All helicopters are VTOL-type aircraft but some fighter jets, such as F-35B Lightning II, are also examples of the type. VTOLs are aircraft that can land, take-off and hover vertically. In a statement, Volkswagen China said that Flying Tiger is an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) prototype. Today, however, VW is far from alone among major automakers interested in the technology - some of its leading global rivals, including General Motors, Hyundai and Toyota, all hope to capitalize on the future of urban transit.Features of the Volkswagen electric flying car Image credit: Volkswagen AG The world’s largest country - and car market - now accounts for the largest share of VW sales.įlying cars, of course, have been a subject of the imagination for decades, but the possibility became more realistic as battery technology accelerated and a handful of startups and aerospace companies started building prototypes. Volkswagen said it is particularly interested in the technology in China, where VW has taken over a pair of automotive joint ventures as Beijing relaxed its requirements on foreign car makers. ![]() The executives indicated the company is exploring possible partnerships - and vehicle concepts - for a drone that could be licensed as urban aerial transit becomes a reality. In a post on LinkedIn, CEO Herbert Diess and Stephan Woellenstein, the head of VW’s China operations, discussed how “vertical mobility” could be part of its future - that is, “flying cars.” Volkswagen is in the midst of a dramatic, expensive transformation into a maker of electric vehicles in the wake of stricter emissions requirements and the global scandal over its rigging of diesel systems.īut company executives are reportedly already looking beyond the shift to battery vehicles - and even beyond emerging self-driving technologies. Company executives are exploring possible partnerships - and concepts - in China.
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