World's first flying car about to go on sale
The world’s first flying car is getting closer to its debut.
Terrafugia is taking orders for pre-sales of the Transition, a two-seat ‘roadable’ aircraft that can switch between driving and flying modes in less than one minute, according to company spokesperson Danielle Kershner.
Chinese news agency Xinhua reported earlier this week that Terrafugia expected to open pre-sales by October. Terrafugia previously announced that deliveries would begin in 2019. Prices have yet to be announced.
Terrafugia CEO Chris Jaran also told Xinhua that another concept car from the company, the TF-2, will be revealed next month.
Terrafugia Transition (Terrafugia)
The Transition is designed to travel at speeds of up to 100 mph, and a “boost” mode will offer a “brief burst of extra power while flying,” according to Terrafugia. On the road, the flying car is powered by a hybrid motor.
Terrafugia was founded by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006 and later acquired by Volvo’s parent company, Chinese manufacturer Geely, in 2017. The Massachusetts-based company announced in July that it was on track to begin production of the Transition next year.
In April, Terrafugia said it had created 75 new jobs in the U.S. within the previous 12 months, and it planned to hire at least 50 more employees by the end of 2018 as it prepares to bring the Transition to market. Terrafugia now employs over 200 people globally.
Terrafugia isn’t the only company developing a flying car. Aston Martin revealed the Volante Vision Concept, an autonomous hybrid-electric vehicle capable of vertical take-offs and landings, during the Farnborough Airshow in July. Kitty Hawk, a startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, has begun taking pre-orders for a single-seat recreational model. Other companies working on flying cars include Airbus, Uber and jet engine maker Rolls-Royce.