Video Transcript
It’s not often we see a vehicle that’s both unprecedented and also three decades in the making.
But that’s what Slovakia-based Klein Vision is bringing to the table with the latest generation of its AirCar prototype.
Long in development, the AirCar is on the verge of primetime, according to its creators.
The device is pegged as a high-speed, long-range, two-seat flying car, and the company reports that it has more than 500 test flights under its belt.
Klein also recently showcased renderings of its 5th-gen model, which is the one they expect to reach the market. According to reports, this version is the one that will form the basis for certification and be produced in order to fulfill customer orders starting early next year.
This dual-mode vehicle is meant to be a regular car that can easily switch to “aircraft mode” in order to fly – but you have to have your pilot’s license for that. Not to mention the regulatory requirements mean, at least for now, taking off from and landing at an airstrip. But one big benefit is that, once the wings tuck in, the vehicle can park anywhere a car can—no hangar required.
Three gas tanks enable the vehicle to travel up to 500 miles on land and fly 620. Flying altitudes of 10,000 feet are currently allowable, though the company’s founder, Anton Zajac, says installing oxygen tanks down the road could “easily” enable a reach of 18,000.
The company is hoping for certification with the FAA this Fall, which leaves its last roadblock: the price. As New Atlas says in a recent report, the cost is “more like an aircraft than a car.” Expect to spend up to a million dollars or more, depending on the engine and “level of luxury.”
And Klein has even more lofty ambitions ahead, if you can believe it. The company has hinted at its next project being a three-mode vehicle, which is capable of driving, flying, and landing on water.
