Flying cars—as a new type of vehicle for urban air mobility (UAM)—have become an
important development trend for the transborder integration of automotive and
aeronautical technologies and industries. This article introduces the 100-year
history of flying cars, examines the current research status for UAM air buses
and air taxis, and discusses the future development trend of intelligent
transportation and air-to-land amphibious vehicles.
Unsettled Topics Concerning Flying Cars for Urban Air Mobility
identifies the major bottlenecks and impediments confronting the
development of flying cars, such as high power density electric propulsion, high
lift-to-drag ratio and lightweight body structures, and low-altitude intelligent
flight. Furthermore, it proposes three phased goals and visions for the
development of flying cars in China, suggesting the development of a flying
vehicle technology innovation system that integrates automotive and aeronautic
industries.