The modes of transportation in which we are used to right now will definitely change in the future, like how people used to walk, before riding horses, to horse-drawn carriages, to cars, motorbikes, and so on. This is why it wouldn’t be surprising if in the future more personal modes of air transportation became a thing.
In fact a company called Kitty Hawk has unveiled their next step in making that a reality by taking the wraps off Cora, a flying taxi which is basically a car that can fly. For those unfamiliar, Kitty Hawk is a startup that is reported to have been funded by Alphabet’s Larry Page. The company had previously shown off an early model called the Flyer before finally unveiling Cora.
Cora is expected to be tested in New Zealand where according to the company, “We quickly realized that there was only one place in the world that had everything we needed — Richard Pearse’s New Zealand. New Zealand’s Central Aviation Authority has the respect of the worldwide regulatory community. A people who embrace the future. And a dynamic economy that could serve as a springboard for Cora.”
According to Dr Peter Crabtree of New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, “In New Zealand, we know we can’t keep using the same old approaches to meet our future challenges. We saw Cora’s potential as a sustainable, efficient and transformative technology that can enrich people’s lives, not only in New Zealand, but ultimately the whole world.”
It is unclear as to when Cora will actually enter the mainstream and become a legit mode of transportation that the public can use. We assume that there will be plenty of regulatory and legal hurdles to overcome, but until then we suppose this is a step in that direction.