While it remains to be seen if flying cars have any
real future as accessible passenger vehicles, Audi, Airbus and the German
government are more than eager to further explore the technology.
Earlier this week, Audi, Airbus, Federal Minister of
Transport Andreas Scheuer, Minister of State for Digital Affairs Dorothee Bar,
and the Mayor of Ingolstadt, Dr. Christian Losel, plus other political and
business representatives, signed a letter of intent to start testing air-taxis
in the Ingolstadt region of Germany.
No details have been provided as to when further
steps in the agreement will be made, nor as to when testing may commence.
Nevertheless, the news does serve to prove that many believe flying cars could
play an important role in the future of mobility.
Audi made its first serious step into the world of
flying cars earlier this year, when it presented the Pop.Up Next concept at the
Geneva Motor Show. Designed with the help of Italdesign and Airbus, the Pop.Up consists
of a small EV that can be detached from its chassis and mounted to a massive
quadcopter that lifts it into the air.
In its most recent statement, Audi says that
vehicles like the Pop.Up Next will eventually “transport people quickly and
comfortably on the roads and in the air in large cities.”
