It might sound like something from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – but flying cars could soon be jetting passengers around Europe by next year.
Slovakia-based company Klein Vision claims its ‘AirCar’ – the world’s first mass-produced flying car – will go on sale in early 2026.
Styled like a sports coupe, the bizarre hybrid – which has four wheels and two wings – builds speed along a runway before lifting into the air.
The two-seater can release its retractable wings in less than two minutes as it prepares for take-off, before stowing them away again at its destination.
Stefan Klein, founder of Klein Vision, said AirCar ‘fulfills a lifelong dream’ to bring passenger flight ‘into the hands of everyday people’.
‘With the launch of our production prototype, we are one step closer to transforming how the world moves – merging the road and the sky into a new dimension of personal mobility,’ he said.
Klein Vision estimates the vehicle will go on sale in the first three months of 2026 – but it won’t come cheap.
A company spokesperson told MailOnline that the vehicle will start at $800,000 (£600,000) but could go up to $1 million (£750,000) depending on specs.
Following successful test flights, Klein Vision said the latest version of is AirCar prototype is now being worked on and tested
New promo images give an idea of what ‘AirCar 2’ will look like when it performs its first flight, due to happen in September
For example, buyers would be able to choose between a 280, 320 and 340 horsepower engine.
Following successful test flights, Klein Vision said the latest version of is AirCar prototype is now being worked on and tested.
But new promo images give an idea of what ‘AirCar 2’ will look like when it performs its first flight, due to happen in September.
AirCar traverses about 980 feet (300 metres) of runway space reaching speeds up to 124mph but has a cruising speed of 155mph once in the air.
It runs on regular petrol-pump fuel and can carry two people to a maximum altitude of 18,000 feet thanks to a propeller between the fuselage and tail.
Although powered by petrol, AirCar will go electric ‘as soon as the energy density of the batteries is good enough’, co-founder Anton Zajac told The Next Web.
When it does go on sale, AirCar will be suited for leisure trips or as a commercial Uber-style taxi service, its developers say.
At the touch of the button, the pilot can unfold and release two wings in preparation for take-off in the space of two minutes, which are safely refolded and stored in the body of the vehicle upon landing.
The original AirCar has already successfully completed over 170 flight hours and more than 500 takeoffs and landings. French composer Jean-Michel Jarre became the world’s first passenger to take off in KleinVision’s flying AirCar (pictured) in 2024
Klein Vision says: ‘This revolutionary vehicle is capable of automatic transformation from car to aircraft in less than two minutes’
The company has provided new promo images of the next prototype of AirCar, which will have a test run in September, it hopes
In the classic film ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, the eponymous car has retractable wings that lets it take to the skies
The original AirCar has already successfully completed over 170 flight hours and more than 500 takeoffs and landings.
Last year, KleinVision completed the first passenger flight of AirCar with none other than French musician Jean-Michel Jarre on board.
While seated in the quirky hybrid vehicle, Jarre and a pilot travelled around two miles in the space of 10 minutes over Piešťany Airport in Slovakia.
Jean-Michel Jarre, a pioneer in the electronic and ambient music genres, described the experience as like being in a ‘Jules Verne book’ – a reference to the 19th century novelist known for sci-fi works including ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’.
‘One second you speak to the driver, and next, you are up there in the air – an amazing experience,’ Jarre said.
Also last year, James May, former host of Top Gear, visited Klein Vision and witnessed the AirCar in action at an international airport in Slovakia
The broadcaster said: ‘The AirCar has landed. Very rarely am I lost for words, but I am lost for words!’
Jean-Michel Jarre, a composer, performer and producer, stands against the futuristic flying vehicle, which will cost around £400,000 for the public to buy
In its home country of Slovakia, AirCar received the Certificate of Airworthiness in January 2022, permitting commercial passengers and opening the door for mass production of the vehicle.
And in the UK, £20 million of government funding has been allocated for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to make flying taxis a reality.
Last week, Mike Kane, the UK government’s Transport Minister, said there will be flying taxis over British skies in just three years’ time – with the first piloted flying taxi flight by 2026.
So if you purchase the AirCar, it might not be authorised to fly in the UK by next year.
According to Morgan Stanley, the global market for flying cars is expected to hit $1 trillion in 2040, before jumping to a whopping $9 trillion in 2050.
Widespread adoption of flying vehicles will make use of the vast empty space in the air while greatly reducing congestion on roads.
WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?
Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.
Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.
Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.
Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing
Airbus is also hard at work on an all-electric, vertical-take-off-and-landing craft, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.
The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.
Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.
The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds
AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.
The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.
Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.
AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work.
Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne.
Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.
‘I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,’ he said.
