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SALT LAKE CITY — Society has come one step closer to the world of the Jetson's with a flying car that could realistically be commercially available within the next year.
Terrafugia, Inc., announced Monday the successful first flight of the Transition — a street-legal airplane whose collapsible wings allow it to be driven on roadways as well as flown above ground.
The Transition was flown for eight minutes around Plattsburgh International Airport in New York on March 23, reaching a cruising altitude of 1,400 feet. It runs on unleaded gasoline, both as a car and a plane. Diesel and jet fuel options will not be immediately available.
The vehicle seats two and requires both a driver license and a pilot's license to operate. It will also set the driver back a cool 279 grand — but about 100 people have already paid a $10,000 deposit to reserve a Transition. The company expects more people to jump on board after the Transition is introduced to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show.
Those willing to shell out the cash for the car will get 35 miles to the gallon while driving — excellent gas mileage for a 6-foot-tall, 19-foot-long and 7 1/2-foot- wide vehicle.
Terrafugia is working with the U.S. government to ready the vehicle for the market. The U.S. granted the company's request to use lighter-weight tires and glass than are normally used for automobiles. It also temporarily granted the company an exemption from a law requiring vehicles to be equipped with electronic stability controls.
The Transition is currently undergoing tests to ensure it meets federal safety standards, at which point it may be ready to fly.
It may not have the skies to itself, though, if Dutch startup PAL-V has its way. The company recently conducted the first test flights of a flying car that has been in development for several years. The vehicle resembles a high-tech trike and aims to give the Transition a run for its money.
The vehicle would work as a type of enclosed motorcycle, giving the operator the power to lean into turns. It gets 28 miles to the gallon, according to reports.
The PAL-V is not set to hit the market in the near future, though. Its creators are still looking for investors to take the project to the next level, while the Transition moves forward with a leg — or wing — up on the competition.
