Jean-Michel Jarre is no stranger to pioneering technology – so it was fitting he has become the first passenger to take off in KleinVision’s flying car.
Known for his laser show concerts – watched by millions – he was a frontrunner in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres of music.
And as a long-time supporter of future tech – he jumped at the chance to complete two flights in the record-breaking vehicle at Piestany international airport in Slovenia.
“One second you speak to the driver, and next, you are up there in the air. An amazing experience,” he said.
Jean-Michel Jarre has become the first passenger to fly in the AirCar. Pic: KleinVision
The vehicle transforms in minutes from sports car to plane and became the first flying car to complete an intercity flight in 2021.
The car has a 1.6 litre BMW engine although KleinVision’s co-founder Anton Zajac told Sky News: “As soon as the technology improves, we will simply run on batteries.”
He added: “We are bridging the gap between the road and the sky, giving cars the freedom they symbolised 50 years ago.”
In order to get that freedom, you’ll need not only a driver’s licence and a pilot’s licence but also a specialised two-to-three month flying course in order to operate the AirCar. Mr Zajac hopes it’ll hit the market in around a year after being approved for flight in 2022.
The AirCar takes around a minute-and-a-half to go from plane to car. Pic: KleinVision
It was made in Slovenia by Professor Stefan Klein and Mr Zajac but theirs isn’t the only flying car taking off.
In the US, Alef Aeronautics’s futuristic-looking Model A became the first road-worthy flying car to receive approval for test flights from the Federal Aviation Administration in July 2022.
It has already had nearly 3,000 pre-orders – and unlike KleinVision’s AirCar, it is electric.
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The start-up is backed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and can “drive on the street, take off vertically when needed, and fly overhead above traffic,” according to Alef’s website.
However, it is considered a “low-speed vehicle” so it won’t be able to drive faster than about 25mph and would still require US government approval to be tested on public roads.
The KleinVision AirCar is a two-seat flying car made in Slovakia. Pic: KleinVision
In March, KleinVision sold the rights to the technology that powers its cars to a Chinese company called Hebei Jianxin Flying Car Technology Company.
China is leading the charge in developing flying car technology, although most of it focuses on electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles.
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The UK government said it expected electric flying taxis to be a reality by 2030 in its Future of Flight action plan.
“This is not science fiction. It has already started,” the report said.
