Forget waiting for a Uber after a big night out. In the very near future you could order a flying cab home instead. This prototype for a brand-new four-seater taxi has just been unveiled, and it looks just as dazzlingly futuristic as you might expect.
AeroMobil’s AM NEXT is half supercar, half light aircraft. The vehicle will be able to ‘transfer between modes’ in less than three minutes, meaning you could get a literal transformer to your mates’ house. Excitingly, the Slovakian firm says it could be in use in the next five years.
Their two-seater model is slated for release a little earlier, in 2024, and will be able to reach 223mph (360km/h) in the air, or 99mph (160km/h) on the road. The vehicle is expected to retail at a whopping €1.5 million (£1.25 million or $1.6 million).
Being realistic about things, it’s probably not going to replace ride-hailing apps in city centres any time soon. But it’s a nice idea. And AeroMobil does reckon they’ll be used regularly by people who travel between 100 and 500 miles a day, as a way to avoid traffic jams and long delays.
The price of a taxi trip hasn’t yet been revealed, but it goes without saying that living out this particular sci-fi fantasy is almost certainly going to be spenny. Still, it’s nice to think to that all those Star Wars-themed dreams we had as as kid are, invention by invention, flying car by flying car, getting closer to reality.
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