大象传媒

Flying cars: Could we be in the air by 2024?

Image of XPeng's flying carImage source, XPeng
Image caption,

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it could be your next ride to the supermarket!

It's the stuff sci-fi dreams are made of, but one company is convinced they can make it a reality - a flying car that can also drive on roads!

They're not the only company developing flying cars, but HT Aero, an affiliate of Chinese electric car company XPeng, wants to roll out their version by 2024.

The company have said they've come up with a design that will allow the car to drive like normal on roads, as well as fly at low altitudes.

The flying car has a lightweight design and the parts that help it fly will be able to fold away when on land.

However, HT Aero have said that they may tweak the design between now and its planned release.

They'll also be including various safety features such as having parachutes on board.

Image source, XPeng
Image caption,

Could this be what driving looks like in 2024?

XPeng, which is China's biggest car brand, have helped raise $500 million from investors to fund the project.

While HT Aero hopes to see people driving and flying their product in the next few years, it's not clear how much the car will cost to buy.

On top of that, safety issues and road regulations might make widespread use of the product tricky.

So, what do you think? Will we be driving cars by 2024? Let us know in the comments...