Important Innovations

  Terrafugea's Transition                                              Source:  Terrafugea FAA Approves Transition For Flying The FAA has given the Terrafugea Transition flying car permission to fly.  The next step  for Terrafugea is to secure approval from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for driving of the Transition.  Terrafugea hopes to win street legal designation from the NHTSA by 2022.  The Massachusetts based flying car company, founded by MIT engineers, is now owned by China's Geely, which also owns Volvo.  The company intends to take advantage of the FAA approval by selling flight-only models.  The driving and flying model should be available in 2022. World's 1st Practical Flying Car Terrafugea calls the Transition "the world's first practical flying car".  The vehicles wings can be folded so that it can be parked in a single car garage.  The flight-only model can hit flying speeds of 100 mph.  It has a rear mounted prop

Terrafugia's TF-2 & Future of Travel Plane and Ground Vehicle Terrafugia invented the world's 1st FAA and NTSB approved flying car, The Transition.  The TF-2 is a next generation concept design they're working on now.  It promises door to door service for 4 passengers and their luggage.  There's a detachable pod. It goes from a flight vehicle to a ground vehicle in 2 minutes. Going to Market The TF-2 will enter the market as a hybrid electric aircraft that will be flown by a pilot.  But as the technology they're working on matures, the plan is to go all electric and with autonomous systems.  At the moment the company says the maximum cruising speed is 240 km/hr.  The cost per hour of flight is $400.  No time frame for launch has been announced. China, Sweden & US  US based Terrafugia has a deep pockets parent company Geely of China and its "sister" company Volvo of Sweden is also owned by Geely.  As I blogged yesterday, the 3 are lau

Terrafugea's FAA Approved Flying Car, Volvo and their Chinese Parent Go to Market Terrafugea's TFX Concept Flying Car Changing Your Commute Forever Volvo and Terrafugea have the same parent company, Geely Automotive Group of China.  Thanks to Geely, the intersection of MIT engineering at Terrafugea, Swedish automotive expertise and a lot of cash from China is supercharging production of the world's 1st FAA and NTSB approved flying car.  Volvo hopes to make it available for you to buy in 2019. The Transition and TFX US-based Terrafugea, started by MIT Ph.D engineers, has been developing flying cars for the past decade.  They have The Transition, a flying and driving car/plane and a prototype the TFX with vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter, that also drives.  The Transition can travel speeds up to 200 mph, has fold out wings, dual electric motors and a range of 400 miles on a charge. The Transition seats 2 and will go to market first at a provisional pr