Urban air mobility and flying cars: Overview, examples, prospects, drawbacks, and solutions

Abstract

Abstract Transportation in cities may undergo substantial changes due to two emerging technologies that enable three-dimensional movement of people or cargo. These emerging technologies are urban air mobility (UAM) and flying cars. The present study gives an overview of both technologies, differences and similarities between them, challenges they face, the opportunities they bring, and examples for them with varying stages of readiness from being commercially available to being a concept in development having a small-scale prototype. The models covered here include EHang 216 (UAM aircraft), VoloCity (UAM aircraft), PAL-V Liberty Sport (flying car), and ASKA (flying car). Focusing on air taxis (or flying taxis) in the form of a fleet of piloted or autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft operated commercially by a corporation that provides mobility as a service, a discussion about the prospects of this nontraditional mode of transportation is provided, with anticipated drawbacks and proposed solutions.