Photo: Pal-V
One of the auto industry’s longest lasting, yet still unfulfilled dreams is to create a flying car. Many have tried over the decades, and most have failed for one reason or another. Moreover, in recent years, the advent of drones has shifted the focus from flying cars.
There is presently only one company still trying to make flying cars a reality – which, for the lack of a better definition, mean vehicles you can both drive on the road and pilot in the sky. Its name is the Pal-V, and it’s based in the Netherlands.
Despite having started work on its project more than 10 years ago, in 2008, the company is still far from making this type of vehicle stick. The first prototype of its build, called the Pal-V One, was ready in 2012, and it was followed about six years later by the Liberty and Pioneer, two gyro-cars that at least in theory are ready to be sold to customers.
We’ve now reached 2020, and the Pioneer is still nothing more than a show-machine. As it did in the previous years, it will be once again on display at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show from next week.
So, what’s the hold-up?
On one hand, Pal-V says the order book for the machine – that for the record costs at least EUR 299,000 ($327,000) – is continuing to grow (we are not told how many people actually ordered it). On the other, there are still a number of regulation hurdles to overcome.
The company says it has just started the European Road Admission process, one of the biggest obstacles still in the path of market launch. We’re not told how much time is needed for the green light to be given, but Mike Stekelenburg, Pal-V’s CTO, hinted that we’ll start seeing a major increase in VTOLs flying over cities in about ten years.
Despite having started work on its project more than 10 years ago, in 2008, the company is still far from making this type of vehicle stick. The first prototype of its build, called the Pal-V One, was ready in 2012, and it was followed about six years later by the Liberty and Pioneer, two gyro-cars that at least in theory are ready to be sold to customers.
We’ve now reached 2020, and the Pioneer is still nothing more than a show-machine. As it did in the previous years, it will be once again on display at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show from next week.
So, what’s the hold-up?
On one hand, Pal-V says the order book for the machine – that for the record costs at least EUR 299,000 ($327,000) – is continuing to grow (we are not told how many people actually ordered it). On the other, there are still a number of regulation hurdles to overcome.
The company says it has just started the European Road Admission process, one of the biggest obstacles still in the path of market launch. We’re not told how much time is needed for the green light to be given, but Mike Stekelenburg, Pal-V’s CTO, hinted that we’ll start seeing a major increase in VTOLs flying over cities in about ten years.
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