Flying Cars For Sale? One Company Will Sell Them In 2019

Flying cars have existed in theory since before airplanes or personal vehicles became commonplace in the 20th century. After decades of curiosity, a Dutch company has announced plans to finally start selling flying cars in 2019, CNBC reported.

The car is called the Liberty from PAL-V, which was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show. It will be manufactured next year but anyone with almost $600,000 can pre-order one on the PAL-V website now. PAL-V claimed it would be the first commercially available, certified flying car ever sold.

However, this is not a regular car that sprouts wings and uses jet propulsion to take off in the middle of traffic. Instead, it is essentially a gyrocopter, meaning it has a folded up rotor at the top that can be used to achieve liftoff with a normal gasoline engine. It needs a clear runway of around 900 feet to takeoff safely, according to the FAQ.

Euronews tweeted footage of the Liberty taking off and landing.

The Liberty has a max ground speed of 100 miles per hour and a max airspeed of 112 miles per hour, according to CNBC. It can seat two and requires “manual intervention” to go into flight mode, meaning drivers cannot just push a button and go from driving to flying. Most importantly, Liberty owners need a pilot’s license; CNBC said the hefty price tag on the car includes flying lessons.

Enthusiasts purchase, build and operate gyrocopters around the world already, with the Federal Aviation Administration issuing airworthiness certificates to them. The Liberty is certified to fly under American and European regulations, according to CNBC.

In November 2014, BBC News reported on the feasibility of flying cars, including the PAL-V, as well as other companies, such as Terrafugia's project Transition.