This Flying Car Doesn’t Require A License Or Any Flight Experience

The Jetson One, a flying car that doesn’t require a license or any flight experience to take it for a spin, has sold out during pre-orders and now has a waitlist of thousands eager to purchase the vehicle. As the automotive shifts toward electric vehicles (EVs), a new type of transportation is entering the fold, flying cars. Numerous flying car prototypes are in the works, and most are a blend of the developments of drones and EVs in the last decade. To this point, few have been practical, and even fewer have been actually available for purchase.

The industry term for flying cars is eVTOL, which stands for electric vertical take-0ff and landing aircraft. As drones across the world deliver packages and fire missile strikes, it’s only a matter of time before eVTOLs take to the skies. As the industry stands now, though, eVTOLs are the least realistic prototypes revealed, and that says a lot in the weeks following CES 2022. Most flying cars are expensive, have short flight times, limited space, and look flat-out strange in the world today.

The Jetson One doesn’t try to alleviate these concerns about flying cars, it embraces them. The company’s aircraft is not designed to revolutionize transportation or make traditional cars obsolete. Instead, it’s marketed as a recreational activity that just about anyone can use. FAA rules state that since the Jetson One weighs under 250 pounds and flies slower than 55 nautical miles per hour, no license is required to fly it. In an interview with CNET, Jetson founder Peter Ternström said, “We are confident that we can put anyone in the Jetson and we can teach them to fly in five minutes.” If true, the futuristic flying car could be a hit.

Thousands Wait To Pre-Order Jetson One

In just a few months, Jetson has sold the entire 2022 production of its flying car, the company said in a press release. That’s 100 units, which is a significant number for a startup producing the only flying car currently available for retail sale. Due to the overwhelming support for the eVTOL, Jetson took pre-orders for its next batch of flying cars, set to be delivered in 2023. Over 3,000 people are now eagerly waiting to get their hands on the Jetson One, which costs $92,000 with a $22,000 deposit due when placing an order.

Though the company is one of the industry leaders in eVTOL, Jetson has its sights set on expansion in 2022. It plans to use the money raised from pre-orders to continue adding talent. “The skill set needed to lead in this industry is incredibly niche,” Jetson co-founder and CTO Tomasz Patan said, while adding, “As is the mindset and energy to be in a company that wants to shape the future.” To secure that future, where just about anyone can experience a flying car recreationally, growth is paramount. With the industry set to expand, the success of the Jetson One certainly gives the company a head start in the race to the future of eVTOLs.

Source: CNET, Jetson

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