Flying cars, eVTOL and jet pack news and discussion thread

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Below is a summary of recent developments in the field of flying cars and related advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies, focusing on news from August 2025. These updates are drawn from various sources, including web reports and posts on X, highlighting significant advancements in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, often referred to as "flying cars."Recent News on Flying Cars (August 2025)
https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1960401972189905163

Joby Aviation’s Historic eVTOL Air Taxi Flight Date: August 15, 2025
Details: Joby Aviation, a Santa Cruz-based company, made history by conducting the first piloted eVTOL air taxi test flight between two public U.S. airports, covering 10 nautical miles in 12 minutes (including a 5-minute hold for air traffic spacing). The company claims this technology could enable a flight from downtown NYC to JFK Airport in just 7 minutes, compared to 49 minutes by car. Joby’s all-electric aircraft, with zero operating emissions and a top speed of 200 mph, represents a significant step toward commercial air taxi services. Additionally, Joby announced a definitive agreement to acquire FlyBlade’s urban air mobility passenger business, strengthening its operational capabilities.
Source:
Significance: This milestone demonstrates progress in integrating eVTOLs into controlled airspace, a critical step for regulatory approval and public adoption.


FAA’s Next-Gen Air Traffic Control System Date: August 13, 2025
Details: Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing a next-generation air traffic control system to support delivery drones and eVTOL aircraft for aerial ridesharing. This system aims to facilitate the safe integration of flying cars and drones into urban airspace.
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Significance: Infrastructure development like this is essential for scaling up AAM operations, addressing airspace management challenges highlighted by industry experts.


Tilt-Rotor Prototype Maiden Flight Date: August 18, 2025
Details: A tilt-rotor prototype, potentially related to flying car technology, performed its maiden flight, as reported on X. While specific details about the company or model were not provided, tilt-rotor designs are commonly used in eVTOLs to combine vertical takeoff with efficient forward flight.
Source:
Significance: This indicates ongoing innovation in eVTOL design, with tilt-rotor technology being a key feature for long-range and high-speed flying cars.

General Sentiment on X Date: August 21, 2025
Details: A post by @MarioNawfal
highlighted growing excitement around flying cars, noting that after decades of hype, these vehicles are now being built and tested. The post specifically referenced XPeng AeroHT, a Chinese company advancing eVTOL technology, including a “Land Aircraft Carrier” concept that deploys a two-seat quadcopter from a hybrid van.
Source:

Significance: Public sentiment on X reflects increasing optimism about the near-term viability of flying cars, driven by tangible progress from companies like XPeng.


Bay Area as a Hub for Flying Car Innovation Date: August 20, 2025
Details: The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Bay Area is becoming a center for the “flying car” revolution, with companies like Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Wisk Aero leading the charge. Archer unveiled its Midnight eVTOL, a five-seater with 12 propellers, at San Francisco International Airport in April, aiming for commercial service in the UAE later in 2025. Wisk is working toward fully autonomous eVTOLs by 2030, mapping pre-determined routes to eliminate the need for pilots. Joby’s partnership with Uber further emphasizes the region’s focus on on-demand air taxi services.
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Significance: The concentration of eVTOL startups in the Bay Area underscores its role as a global hub for AAM innovation, with potential applications ranging from urban commuting to emergency medical transport.

Broader Context (Last Month)While the above updates are specific to August 2025, earlier developments in 2025 provide additional context:Klein Vision AirCar: In May 2025, Klein Vision unveiled its production prototype at the Living Legends of Aviation Gala, with sales planned for Q1 2026 at a price of $800,000–$1.2 million. The AirCar, which transforms from a road vehicle to an aircraft in 80 seconds, has completed over 500 takeoffs and landings and is nearing full certification.

Alef Aeronautics: In June 2025, Alef Aeronautics reported over 3,400 pre-orders for its Model A, a road-legal eVTOL priced at $300,000, with production expected to start by late 2025 or Q1 2026. The Model A, classified as an “ultralight” vehicle, can drive and fly vertically, using less energy per trip than a Tesla, according to the company.

Doroni Aerospace: Also in June 2025, Doroni secured $180 million to develop its H1-X eVTOL, which can recharge to 80% in 25 minutes and has a 60-mile range. The company is working toward FAA certification under the MOSAIC rules, expected to stretch into 2026.

Challenges and OutlookRegulatory Hurdles: The FAA’s rigorous certification process remains a significant barrier, with companies like Doroni emphasizing cautious collaboration with regulators. The MOSAIC rules, expected in 2026, will expand certification for eVTOLs, potentially accelerating market entry.

Infrastructure Needs: The development of vertiports, charging infrastructure, and airspace management systems is critical. Companies like XPeng are planning “flying camps” with takeoff and landing platforms to support urban operations.

Skepticism: Despite progress, some sources express skepticism about mass production and mainstream adoption, citing high costs ($150,000–$1.2 million) and safety concerns, such as the risk of crashes in crowded airspace.

ConclusionAugust 2025 has seen notable advancements in flying car technology, particularly with Joby Aviation’s historic airport-to-airport flight and the FAA’s efforts to modernize air traffic control for eVTOLs. The Bay Area’s emergence as an AAM hub and ongoing prototype developments, like the tilt-rotor flight, further signal progress. However, regulatory, infrastructural, and safety challenges persist, and while companies like Klein Vision and Alef Aeronautics are nearing production, widespread adoption may still be years away. For the latest updates, monitoring platforms like X or news outlets such as IoT World Today and FlightGlobal can provide real-time insights into this rapidly evolving field.

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Subaquatic triple-jet pack makes you a turbo man-shark with fins
By C.C. Weiss
September 08, 2025

https://newatlas.com/boats-watersports/ ... -jet-pack/
Around the same time we were digging up a 2025 update for the radical CudaJet pack, a different spin on underwater jetting was just surfacing into the public conscious. Like the CudaJet, Kikfin's wearable puts a multi-jet array on your back to power you to faster speeds under the surface of the sea.

But the Kikfin Shark adds in a pair of pectoral-inspired fins and an available dorsal fin to bio-mimic sharks and other fast, nimble sea creatures for superior movement and agility through the water. It also adds in a swappable battery system for more time under down under. It's as close to morphing you into an actual man-shark as the current state of science allows.

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Uber, Joby Team Up to Provide On-Demand Helicopter Flights
Just drop me off on the top of that casino, Jeeves.
By Josh Gulick September 11, 2025
https://www.extremetech.com/aerospace/u ... er-flights

Electric air taxi developer Joby enjoyed quite the summer—and the fall looks just as good. The company, which has impressed the likes of NASA and the US military with its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, bought Blade's Air Mobility passenger business, bolstering its capabilities and customers. But it's what Joby plans to do from here that's noteworthy: The company landed a partnership with rideshare service Uber and is working to put its Air Mobility helicopter flights on the Uber app. A quick flight sounds worlds better than sitting in traffic, no matter how many courtesy water bottles your Uber driver stocked.

"We're excited to introduce Uber customers to the magic of seamless urban air travel," Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said in a statement. "Integrating Blade into the Uber app is the natural next step in our global partnership with Uber and will lay the foundation for the introduction of our quiet, zero-emissions aircraft in the years ahead."

[Yuli Ban]

Seems impractical, but Rule of Cool I suppose!

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eHang's pilotless eVTOL air taxi takes flight with 125-mile range
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
October 13, 2025

Guangzhou, China-based aerial vehicle outfit eHang is throwing down the gauntlet in the air taxi space with the unveiling of its autonomous VT35 eVTOL. This long-range lift- and cruise-capable aircraft was shown off taking to the skies ahead of an official launch event today in Hefei, China, where the company has established a new R&D, testing, and manufacturing hub. You can see it in action below.

The VT35 skips the traditional controls-laden cockpit setting in its cabin for luxurious seating, with doors that let you in without the need for rolling stairs to climb aboard. Passengers will be greeted by a large display showing their trajectory, trip details, climate controls, and in-flight entertainment.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/ehang-pil ... ile-range/

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Single-seater eVTOLs duke it out for air race supremacy
By Paul Ridden
October 14, 2025

What could be better than strapping yourself into your own personal electric flyer? Racing with some buddies of course, and that's coming closer with the unveiling of the Jetson Air Games concept recently. Strap in, and join us for a demo vid.

The Jetson ONE multicopter sees a pilot surrounded by a simple spaceframe, which takes to the air courtesy of eight props mounted to four arms in X configuration, and zipping to a reported top speed of 63 mph (102 km/h).

We've been following the progress of Jetson Aero for a few years now, from its official launch of the ONE through development milestones and on to production. While it's sure to be a ton of fun hopping to work in one of these things, racing them promises to take your breath away.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/jetson-on ... s-concept/

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First flight for Joby's ultra-long-range eVTOL
By David Szondy
November 22, 2025

https://newatlas.com/military/joby-firs ... -military/
Joby Aviation's latest iteration of its autonomous all-electric S4 air taxi VTOL aircraft has made its maiden flight. The new variant aimed at the defense market boasts a turbine-electric hybrid powertrain for greater range and endurance.

For years, Joby has been developing its air taxi technology with an eye on the civilian aviation market. The company's prototype has already accumulated 50,000 miles (80,467 km) of flight test miles and is well on its way to FAA certification.

Now, in conjunction with L3Harris, the latest flight on November 7, 2026 at Joby's Marina, California, facility marks the latest modification of its S4 air taxi to meet the needs of military customers by upgrading the electric propulsion system with a turbine to generate electricity to keep the batteries topped up.

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Tidy flying motorcycle with electric microjets opens pre-orders
By Joe Salas
November 26, 2025

The LEO Solo is now available for preorder, pitched as a Part 103-friendly (no pilot license required), single-seat personal eVTOL. It's apparently going to production in late 2025, which according to our watches is about right now.

Behind LEO Flight Corp, the company offering up these personal flight machines, is an interesting duo. Pete Bitar – who is probably on OSHA's speed dial – is the chief architect of numerous eyebrow-raising electric-jet propulsion devices over the years, an emerging patron saint of unfinished projects ... His partner Carlos Salaff is a former Mazda designer with actual real-world vehicles to show for it.

Bitar supplies the quirky electric microjet thrust obsession, while Salaff supplies the "this shouldn't look like a lawn chair strapped to a bunch of trash barrels on wheels."
In 2018, Bitar launched the company ElectricJet. From it, he's started up at least a half dozen interesting personal flight projects, built prototypes, and posted a remarkable number of "first test!" videos...

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/leo-flight-solo-evtol/

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Unique mixed-propulsion eVTOL completes transition flight testing
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
December 06, 2025

China's TCab Tech has successfully completed transition flight tests for its full-scale E20 eVTOL demonstrator, a major milestone that proves its aircraft can handle the most complex part of its flight envelope.

That's a big win for the Shanghai-based air taxi outfit, which has been working its way up to these trials since the transition flight tests of its sub-scale prototype back in 2022. It pulled off its first crewed flight a couple of months ago with its CEO on board, but stayed in hover mode for those tests.

The company notes it's carried out some 1,000 flight tests since 2021 for various versions of its its six-rotor eVTOL air taxi, which uses a unique blend of different VTOL concepts in its propulsion system.

Lift-and-cruise designs like the one used by Autoflight use separate, statically mounted propellers for the vertical lift and horizontal cruise modes of flight. Vectored thrust systems as seen on the Joby S4 mount their rotors on nascelles that tilt 90 degrees to direct thrust anywhere between horizontal and vertical.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/tcab-evto ... on-flight/

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[Yuli Ban]

More of a high level thought but I recently remembered I used to envision what a Highway in the Sky of passenger drones would look like, presuming we found a way to solve the loudness problem

I've been trying to generate this with Sora and it just has no conception of how to do it because sci-fi movies never really did it as anything other than high speed anti-gravity pods/cars in the sky
So I had to find the old video I found of Chinese lanterns that inadvertently showed off what it could be

But it would likely look something like this

[Yuli Ban]

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Sub-$40,000 personal eVTOL could be in buyers' hands later this year
By Ben Coxworth
January 08, 2026

Ever since its official launch in 2021, the Jetson One has looked like it might be the first personal eVTOL to reach consumers. If Chinese company Rictor is to be believed, however, its similar X4 should ship later this year – and at a fraction of the price.

Unveiled this week at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the Rictor X4 is a single-passenger eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft driven by eight motor/propeller units mounted on four arms. Those carbon fiber arms and 63-inch (160-cm) props fold in when not in use, allowing the X4 to be transported in the back of a pickup truck.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/rictor-x4-personal-evtol/

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Split-wing aircraft gets new propulsion system
By Ben Coxworth
January 29, 2026
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/horizon-a ... ol-update/

Horizon Aircraft's Cavorite X7 already sported a radical design, even within the wild world of hybrid eVTOLs. That design has now been updated, however, for enhanced aerodynamics, cruising performance, and flight safety.

We first heard about Canadian company Horizon Aircraft back in 2021, when it unveiled the X7's predecessor, the Cavorite X5.

Like the X7, it utilized a unique split-wing design to take-off and land vertically like a helicopter. In the case of the X7, that design placed five battery-powered vertical lift fans in each of the two wings, along with two smaller fans in each of two canards at the nose (for a total of 14 fans).

Once the aircraft gained altitude, a gas-powered pusher propeller in the rear took over for forward flight, with the wings and canards now providing lift just like they would on a fixed-wing aircraft – they were assisted by aerodynamic covers that slid up over the fans.

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Giant 5-ton eVTOL just aced a tricky flight test
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
February 06, 2026
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/autofligh ... on-flight/

Multinational aviation company AutoFlight says its Matrix aircraft is the first 5-ton eVTOL on the planet – and it's just completed a public full-transition flight demo at the Kunshan Civil UAV Flight Test & Operation Base in China.

That means it's arguably among the largest electric VTOLs set to fly commercially in the near future. The Matrix is designed to seat 10 passengers – similar to the luxurious $29 million Gulfstream G300 – or hold up to 3,300 lb (1,500 kg) of cargo in its freight configuration.

You can see the imposing Matrix, with its six rails of rotors, fly alongside AutoFlight’s 2-ton CarryAll cargo eVTOL in the clip below. The Matrix has successfully pulled off its full mode transition flight sequence, transitioning from vertical take-off through cruise flight to vertical landing. That's usually challenging for aircraft makers to nail with new vehicle designs; completing it marks a major milestone in the aircraft's development process.