Flying cars. It sounds like something straight out of the “Back to the Future” movies.
A California company has expressed hope about creating an “air taxi” to offer people a new way to travel.
Supernal, which has its engineering headquarters out of Irvine, is looking to have air taxis available for people by 2028, Ramona Stefanescu, the lead research manager for Supernal told WFMZ. Stefanescu focused on how with air taxis, you would not be “stuck in traffic” or have to spend “40-50 minutes in traffic.”
“Going from a hub like an airport – or again, downtown San Francisco or San Jose to Palo Alto or some city in between – that can be done in a short trip with an air taxi,” Stefanescu said, highlighting the positives of the air taxi.
At first, the air taxis will feature a pilot and be able to seat four passengers, however, later down the road a pilot will no longer be needed.
Supernal, the electric air taxi developer, has established a new engineering headquarters in California to facilitate the testing and development of its technology. https://t.co/eXFY0mun26
— GAMA (@GAManufacturers) August 10, 2023
“We want to give people more time to spend with their families,” Stefanescu explained.
The air taxis, which are described as being a cross between a plane and a helicopter, would be powered by batteries. They would be able to travel at a speed of about 120 mph within a 25-30 mile radius, Stefanescu explained.
Other companies have also been looking into creating air taxis. Archer Aviation in California revealed a “full-sized electric air taxi” in November 2022. Odys Aviation, an air taxi company also based in California, expanded to the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.
IJR reached out to Supernal for a comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.