Looking at the global "flying car", is human flight far away?
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EVTOL, manned drones, flying cars, this is the same product of the future. It will address ground traffic and provide a second airspace for low-altitude traffic flights. It will also be a transitional phase for humans into space. Are flying cars reliable? What is the status and when will it become widespread?
More recently, Tesla has been blasted or moved into the flying car market, once again pushing manned drones to the forefront of technology.
allBall Flying Cars Inventory
We don't know much about flying car companies and products. However, more than 200 companies worldwide have been developing and testing vehicles, the longest for more than a decade. This section mainly takes stock of flying cars and companies that have been tested, products, designs, or more famous. The following rankings are in no particular order and do not represent market position or technological leadership.
Tesla may enter board, flying cars may start popular
According to reports, investment bank Morgan Stanley recently released an investment research report, the target price of Tesla shares at 900 dollars, continue to maintain its stock "overweight" rating. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas. Jonas said in the report that he did not believe Tesla would not enter the "electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle" (eVTOL) market.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not really talk about eVTOL, Jonas said. And, when asked about eVTOL, he dismissed the "flying car."
But, given that Tesla is aggressively "industrializing" electric cars, self-driving cars, battery storage, connected car networks and electric vehicle infrastructure, he's not convinced Tesla has no interest in eVTOL, the technologies are just too close.
Jonas even thinks it's no longer a matter of "if" Tesla will enter the eVTOL market, but "when."
The above picture is a rendering of the Tesla flying car, from the point of view of industrial design, is indeed "Tesla": cutting-edge technology, industrial design first-class. And true aerodynamics. However, it is not clear where people will be "loaded."
Volocopter, Germany, urban air traffic trailblazer
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), its strategic investment entity, Microns Ventures, announced on October 24, 2019. (NYSE: VW) Ventures is participating in a Series C investment in urban air traffic trailblazer Volocopter. Volocopter Is a manufacturer of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that meet today's safety standards for air transport and exceed those for helicopters. Volocopter is seeking to commercialise an autonomous and on-demand air taxi service.
Extended air traffic
As a growing population moves to cities, existing traffic patterns face limits. The need to find a solution inspires Volocopter Such as the explosive innovation and disruptive growth of private enterprises. The Germany-based start-up has been experiential testing its air taxi technology for almost a decade, with its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Airplanes not only meet the need to constantly reinvent the transportation systems of megacities, but also provide people with new ways to commute.
“Volocopter Is a wonderful company dealing with a favorable position in driving change in the transportation and transportation market and contributing to building sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure, ” René, Vice President, Corporate Business Development, Micron Technologies Hartner said. “Micron in Volocopter Uber's investment is consistent with our view that memory and storage solutions play a key role in enabling the breakthrough capabilities required for autonomous vehicles and edge computing. ”
Micron is the largest supplier of memory to the automotive industry and its high-performance solutions facilitate the development of autonomous driving, virtual reality and air travel. MicronVenture vs. Volocopter Micron's investment reflects its continuous search for new and innovative solutions.
"We are proud to partner with Micron to realize our bold vision of making urban air traffic a reality," Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter Said.“Volocopter Will help major cities transform their transport infrastructure and thus move towards a more sustainable future. Our goal is to provide affordable, automated, on-demand air taxi services to pick up and drop off passengers in megacities - all for the cost of a taxi ride and significant time savings. ”
In addition to air taxis, Volocopter is developing an ecosystem for urban air traffic while working with the European Union's Aviation Safety Agency to seek Class I certification for use in commercial transport. This work includes building connectivity VoloCity aircraft with major downtown transportation hubs such as airports and business districts for VoloPorts.
In addition, Volocopter has the VoloConnect Long Way concept aircraft and logistics drones:
Volocopter is doing well in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Europe.
In July 2017, Volocopter collaborated with the Dubai government to explore smart city air traffic;
Volocopter makes its first flight in the European city of Stuttgart on October 8, 2019;
Volocopter, Urban Air Traffic (UAM), December 9, 2020 Announced a commitment to work closely with Singapore / Bruhsar City to launch air taxi services in Singapore after two years. Volocopter works with the Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDB) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) Air taxi services in the Southeast Asian city-state are planned for the next three years;
On June 21, 2021, Volocopter 2X made its first flight at the French Air Show and is expected to become one of the Paris air taxis in 2024.
June 24, 2021 The European Union's aviation safety agency issued its first certificate in a new program under which drone manufacturers or operators can ask the agency to verify the design of drones used for specific purposes. The first such certificate was granted Volocopter VC200-2;
Japan Airlines partners with Volocopter to launch flying car service in 2025
In January 2021, a French company, FLY-R, designed a prototype of a new "biplane" drone. It features a unique diamond wing design that claims to be able to bring some distinct advantages.
In the latest display of the R2-150 The prototype is formed by a pair of front wings disposed at a low point, and a couple of rear wings disposed high, The front wings sweep back and the rear wings sweep forward and tilt down, so they join the front wing at the tip. It's almost a biplane, except the ends of the upper and lower wings are pinched together.
FLY-R The company, based in the Indian Ocean on the French island of Reunion, says the diamond design is superior to conventional wings in many ways. First, the wingspan has been cut by about half, and aerodynamic drag has been reduced. In addition, the structural mass has been reduced by about a third, and the aircraft remains stable over a wide range of speeds and is highly maneuverable.
Currently battery-powered R2-150 Is designed for completely autonomous missions such as surveillance, observation and reconnaissance. It has a wingspan of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet), a cruising speed of 115 kilometers per hour (71 miles per hour) and can fly for two hours per charge -- transmitting live video as it flies.
Other models are designed to go farther, carry heavier payloads and fly faster. For example, the jet-powered R2-HSTD plans a top speed of Mach 0.65 (803 km / h or 499 mph). It is intended as a target drone, for use in military exercises.
FLY-R even has plans for a short- and medium-range passenger aircraft, named the Crystal CR-1200. FLY-R Crystal The CR-1200 should be able to carry items weighing up to 800 kilograms (1,764 pounds). The aircraft can accommodate two pilots and eight passengers (although other configurations may be available), It will feature a hybrid system in which a fuel-burning generator will recharge an onboard battery pack, which in turn will power an electric motor for two push-back propellers. At its cruising speed of 350 km / h (217 mph), It can travel more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) without refueling -- a figure that would increase if it was not carrying the maximum possible payload.
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