Flying automobiles are a hallmark of science fiction blockbusters, from The Jetsons to Harry Potter.
Now, the company developing a vehicle inspired by The Jetsons has garnered $10 million in funding.
Jetson ONE, a flying vehicle with a top speed of 63 mph and a range of about 20 miles, was unveiled by the Tuscany-based company Jetson last year.
The developers claim that “anyone may purchase and run one” if they have £80,000 ($92,000) to spare.
The all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft was introduced in October of last year and was so well-received that it sold out almost immediately, with deliveries scheduled for later this year.
Now, Jetson has established a new center for research and development in Arezzo, Tuscany.
The hub is equipped with an 800-meter-long airstrip for flight testing.
The temperature in Tuscany is ideal for flight testing, and the 800-meter airstrip allows us to continue flying daily,” they added in a statement.
In the spring of 2023, customers who have acquired a chassis number will be invited.
This year, Jetson released footage of a pilot controlling the flying car.
In a YouTube video, the company stated, “At Jetson, we are working hard so that you can experience the purest form of flying on your own.”
In the video, an unidentified pilot skilfully navigates the aircraft over farms and woods.
Jetson has already proven that the vehicle is capable of flight over water.
Peter Thernstrom, one part of the brains behind Jetson, remarked, “The first time I flew it, it felt incredible — it’s vibration-free, unlike a helicopter or airplane.”
It is novel and euphoric. We are giving folks access to a new dimension.
He said, “However, our aim extends far beyond the Jetson One; in four years, we hope to produce a two-seater flying car.”
“By the end of the decade, we hope to have a four-seater flying automobile on the market, one that can replace a standard family car, and that everyone will want.
“To make cities a better place to live, public transportation will have to transform – everything is going upward!”
People think it’s absurd, but we believe that before the end of the decade, everyone will be a pilot. Evolution happens swiftly.’
Thernstrom and co-founder Tomasz Patan founded Jetson in 2017 after conceiving the idea several years prior.
The following year, they began implementing safety features, including sensors, backup motors, and speed limits, to ensure that it was safe to fly.
It is designed to ensure a smooth landing for the pilot and does not require a runway to take off or land.
After the vehicle’s official debut in October 2021, the initial batch of Jetson One vehicles sold out immediately, and the business is now accepting orders for 2023 delivery.
Thernstrom stated, “It is unlike anything else on the market, which is what makes it so distinctive and fascinating.”
Every fifteen minutes, day or night, I receive a request to purchase one of our products.
Every couple of hours, I receive a request to buy the entire company!
Imagine being one of the first few hundred individuals in the world to own one, he continued.
Imagine driving one of these to a suburban McDonald’s.
People will glance at you and wonder, “Is that James Bond?” Are they even from our planet? ‘
The Jetson One weighs 190 pounds (86 kilograms) and can fly for twenty minutes with a two-hour battery charging period.
It can achieve speeds of up to 63 mph and is operated with a joystick and throttle lever.
The vehicle is still subject to flight limitations that differ from nation to country, thus it cannot be flown in cities at this time.
But the founders believe this will change as people become more receptive to air travel over car travel.
Thernstrom and Patan anticipate that 15 percent of all wheeled transportation will be airborne by 2035, and 50 percent by 2050.
He continued, “In the future, we hope to make large cities more desirable places to live.”
‘Cities will be greener for our children because there will be no need for parking lots and roads because everything will be in the air.
We will not be the only ones to tackle this problem, but we may collaborate with other businesses to accomplish so.
The next step in Thernstrom and Patan plans to develop a two-seater flying car with a small amount of cargo room by 2026.
The concept, dubbed “a luxury car for the sky,” is already in development.
Inventors insist that four-seater flying cars will be available to the public before the end of the decade.
The pair believes that these will fundamentally revolutionize road travel and possibly replace traditional “family cars.”
Thernstrom stated, “Our models will be the most desirable items available; everyone will want them.”
People perceive it to be absurd, but evolution occurs rapidly. Our objective is to make everyone a pilot within ten years.
