Italdesign, Airbus Concept Release Date, Specs News: Flying Car to Debut at Geneva Motor Show
A future populated by flying cars continues to be a pipe dream for many, especially for those who have to brave rush hour traffic day in and day out — or does it?
According to reports, Audi's design and engineering company, Italdesign, has collaborated with aircraft manufacturer Airbus to create a flying car concept which will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this Tuesday, March 7.
Sources have told Automotive News that Italdesign and Airbus' futuristic vehicle will have an upper body that can be flown above congested roads via a drone.
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Specifically, the concept will have a self-driving chassis with a capsule on top. Whenever the vehicle finds itself stuck in heavy traffic, a large drone, said to be about five by five meters, will arrive to airlift the capsule so that the passenger can arrive at his or her destination.
Not a lot of details about the concept have been revealed; however, based on what has been revealed so far, the flying car is reminiscent of the Capsula concept that Italdesign introduced in 1982.
The forward-thinking concept was equipped with an Alfa Romeo chassis with a modular capsule that can be substituted depending on the intended use of the vehicle. It can be used as a passenger car, a commercial van, a minibus, an ambulance or a rescue vehicle.
Meanwhile, Airbus is also currently working on Project Vahana, a flying vehicle designed for passenger and cargo transport. As a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, it is self-piloted and won't need a runway as it takes off vertically. The company plans to unveil a prototype for testing by the end of the year.
The publication noted that Vahana continues to be a separate endeavor from the flying car concept developed by Airbus and Italdesign.
If proven to be feasible, flying cars could become the saving grace of megacities as increased urbanization continues to breed traffic problems.
Both Italdesign and Airbus refused to comment on the latest reports but all will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, which is now underway.
