We’ll See the $400K PAL-V “Flying Car” in Geneva

Autonomous cars still have a way to go, but the flying car is here. After opening the order books for its $400,000 flying car last year, PAL-V will finally debut the vehicle in the sheetmetal. The PAL-V Liberty will make its first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show starting March 6.

The Dutch company claims the Liberty is the world’s first production flying car, though it looks more like a helicopter you can drive on the road. Although the two-seat vehicle is being shown in production form, PAL-V still needs to put it through the last step of the certification process to demonstrate it can comply with both road and air regulations. PAL-V expects to finish this up in 2019 and then start delivering models to customers. Previously, PAL-V anticipated deliveries would begin by the end of 2018.

So how does a flying car perform? On the road, the PAL-V Liberty makes just 100 hp and can travel up to 100 mph. It’s estimated to take less than 9 seconds to hit 62 mph. In flight mode, it can hit a max speed of 112 mph and has 200 hp on tap.

The model starts at around $399,000, although a special Pioneer Edition goes for around $599,000 and includes power heating, dual controls, and other features and extras. Buyers should have a license for both driving and flying.

PAL-V isn’t the only company thinking of flying cars. Uber and NASA have teamed up to create a driverless air traffic management system to manage “flying taxi” routes.

Source: PAL-V