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Flying Cars Have Finally Arrived
By Najla Zaidi | 03 Jun, 2025
By 2026 the distinction between automobiles and aircraft may begin dissolving as these revolutionary vehicles take flight.
Several companies are launching flying cars, with some manufacturers already having logged test flights and pre-sales. These vehicles are mostly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can also function as road vehicles.
Many carmakers are jumping into the field, but some are ahead of the curve. Among them are Alef Aeronautics, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Klein Vision, Xpeng AeroHT and EHang.
The Alef Aeronautics Model A (photo courtesy of Alef Aeronautics)
Born in the Silicon Valley as a sketch on a napkin, Alef Aeronautics Model A, which can both drive and fly, is expected to be in production by 2025-2026. Designed to drive on the street, take off vertically and fly overhead above traffic, the Model A is a two-seat, all-electric vehicle with a flight range of 110 mile. It looks like a spaceship that can be parked in a garage. In July the Federal Aviation Administration gave the vehicle a special airworthy certificate, allowing Alef to make test flights. The Model A but already has several pre-orders at a sticker price of $300,000.
Toyota has invested over a billion dollars into Joby Aviation and its tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft that promises speeds over 200 mph. The hydrogen fuel cell-powered craft has proven itself on a 500-plus mile test flight in California and is over halfway through its full certification. Powered by six electric motors, the aircraft takes off and lands vertically, has zero emissions and is promoted as an aerial ride sharing service. Joby also became the first eVTOL company to receive airworthiness approval from the U.S Air Force in December 2020.
Joby has partnered with Delta Air Lines and Uber to bring its service to the US. Los Angeles and New York City are targeted as its launch markets. Service is planned to start shortly after Joby receives type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. Outside the US, Joby recently formed a partnership with Virgin Atlantic to bring its service to the UK and has partnered with ANA Holdings Inc., Japan’s largest airline, for Japan. Joby has completed more than 40,000 miles of test flights across multiple aircraft, including demonstration flights in New York City, Japan, and Korea.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft is designed to be safe, sustainable, quiet and carry four passengers plus a pilot. Midnight is optimized for back-to-back short distance trips of around 20-50 miles, with a charging time of approximately 10 minutes in-between.
“We are on the cusp of changing the way the world moves in the sky,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. Archer also announced plans for a Los Angeles air taxi network with takeoff and landing facilities at Los Angeles International Airport, USC, Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach and Van Nuys. The network is scheduled to start in 2026.
Klein Vision's AirCar (photo courtesy of Klein Vision)
Klein Vision, designers of the AirCar, has announced that its flying car is entering production soon with deliveries to start in 2026. The production prototype of the AirCar was recently unveiled at the 2025 Living Legends of Aviation Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills where John Travolta and Morgan Freeman presented the AirCar's inventor, Stefan Klein, with a Special Recognition Award for Engineering Excellence.
The AirCar holds a Certificate of Airworthiness, has completed over 170 flight hours, and successfully achieved more than 500 takeoffs and landings. AirCar can transform from car mode to flight mode in under two minutes. The production prototype is powered by a 280-horsepower internal combustion engine, though the company is waiting for the power density of batteries to increase enough before converting the AirCar to electric. With the gas engine it can reach speeds of 155 miles per hour and travel up to 621 miles per tank of fuel. The AirCar has undergone a gestation period of 35 years and emerged as a viable candidate to become the first-ever flying car sold at scale.
China’s XPENG AEROHT X2 is an autonomous two-seater electrical aerial vehicle designed for low-altitude city flying. It’s like a hobby drone blended with a modern car. The X2 made its first public flight in Dubai in 2022, and at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, the company revealed what it calls a Land Aircraft Carrier — a six-wheeled hybrid-powered van that houses a two-seater quadcopter in the rear. At the touch of a button, the aircraft emerges, unfolds, and can be ready to fly in a matter of minutes.
XPENG says it’s building a network of “Strategically developing flying camps around cities and popular self-driving routes equipped with take-off and landing platforms and clear airspace.” These will be in China where the process of getting certification is already well underway and where, XPENG says, more than 3000 customers have already ordered the $275,000 flying car/MPV combo.
EHang's EH216-S (photo courtesy of EHang)
EHang claims to be the world's leading urban air mobility (UAM) technology platform company. The passenger carrying unmanned aerial electric vehicles(UAV) adhere to three major design concepts of backup safety design, unmanned operation and an intelligent command and control center.
EHang's EH216-S has obtained the world's first type certificate (TC), production certificate (PC), and standard airworthiness certificate (AC) for pilotless human carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). In 2025 the CAAC granted EH216-S eVTOL operators the first batch of Air Operator Certificates (AOC) for civil human-carrying pilotless aerial vehicles .
As a pioneer in the UAM global industry, EHang is committed to making autonomous flight a part of everyday life. Following the AOC certificates, passengers can start purchasing tickets for low-altitude sightseeing tours, and urban air commuting services at designated points in China. Before these flying vehicles can hit the skies, they must meet government regulations.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just released a 36-page “Innovate28” plan which says air taxis and flying cars will be traveling over urban areas in sizable numbers by 2028. They expect the first will fly commercially in 2025. The agency will certify these new aircraft classes while overseeing infrastructure development.
The first phase, from 2025 through 2028, will most likely find the electric aircraft flying from existing airports and heliports, which will be fitted with charging stations. After that period, “vertiports,” or specialized transportation hubs developed in various areas, will be used to expand the networks.
When Hanna-Barbera envisioned The Jetsons in 1962 they probably had no idea that this would become our reality in 2025.
These vehicles are mostly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can also function as road vehicles.
Flying cars will soar above traffic by 2026.
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