Interest and investment in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOLs), commonly known as flying cars, have grown significantly. However, their sustainability implications are unclear. We report a physics-based analysis of primary energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of VTOLs vs. ground-based cars. Tilt-rotor/duct/wing VTOLs are efficient when cruising but consume substantial energy for takeoff and climb; hence, their burdens depend critically on trip distance...

Inside a cluster of unmarked buildings in Palo Alto, a small team backed by Google co-founder Larry Page is building a vehicle that they believe will revolutionize personal transportation. It's a single-passenger aerial craft that doesn't require a pilot's license to fly and could eventually cost about the same as an SUV...

Quadcopters make fine toys, but true flying cars need eight rotors. Opener’s single-­seat octocopter classifies as an ultralight plane, but with its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, you can skip the runway and touch down in the office parking lot...

Today, commuting to work in a personal helicopter or private jet is something that’s only really available to billionaire CEOs, hedge fund managers, and “one hit wonder” rappers who are six months away from bankruptcy...

The great thing about air events is that airplanes can come from far away. The not so great thing is that if the event is far, you too have to travel to it. But this year’s 2018 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh was well worth the travel, as it attempted to show a clearer picture of our near future mobility...