Airbus is best known for the giant airplanes it makes but many of you may not be aware that it’s also working on small autonomous flying cars that are meant for single-passenger travel. Airbus CEO Tom Enders has said that this is a project that the company takes very seriously and that it’s looking to have a prototype of this flying car ready by the end of this year.
The project is part of a division Airbus formed last year called Urban Air Mobility. The company has based it on a ride-sharing concept whereby people would be able to book the self-flying car via an app much like they would book an Uber, which interestingly is also working on its own flying car project.
Enders added that Airbus wants to invest more resources in the development of technologies that are going to shape our future, such as artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. “If we ignore these developments, we will be pushed out of important segments of the business,” he said.
The project itself is known as Project Vahana through which Airbus is developing its autonomous vertical take-off and landing concept. The company aims to have a viable production unit for short-haul trips available by 2021 so it would make sense for Airbus to start testing prototypes later this year.
Airbus is yet to confirm how much money it’s pouring into this project.
Filed in . Read more about Airbus and Flying Cars. Source: reuters