In the past couple months, we’ve written about the exciting development of all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircrafts, which are better known as flying cars. The promise of flying cars is that they could make transportation across short distances greener and quicker, all while potentially removing cars from the roads and fuel-powered aircrafts from the skies.
Until now we’ve only written about flying cars powered by lithium-batteries, such as the Lilium Jet being developed in Munich, but today we present to you the first VTOL that will run on hydrogen energy, which has ten times the power of conventional lithium batteries without compromising on carbon emissions. In a new flashy video, Massachusetts-based startup Alaka’i announced they have designed a five-passenger flying car that will have a maximum range of 400 miles (640km) with a flight time of up to four hours. The aircraft itself looks like a sleek, oversized drone, with six small rotors that give the vehicle the lift it needs.
Alaka’i has been working on the design for four years, and is hoping to receive Federal Aviation Administration certification before the end of 2020. The CEO of Alaka’i admits that it could take another ten years until flying cars become practical to ferry passengers from city to city, but nonetheless the prospect of a hydrogen-powered flying car is a fascinating one that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
