The Japanese company NEC Corp. made a public presentation of its new flying car to the media outside of Tokyo (Japan) on Monday. The vehicle, which at first sight resembles a drone, managed to stay in flight for about a minute, reports The Japan Times.
During the test, the vehicle, which is expected to transport people, could briefly rise to about three meters from the ground. Powered by a battery, the model measures 3.9 meters long by 1.3 meters wide and weighs 148 kilos.
Although it may seem a test not entirely satisfactory, the Government of Japan has great plans for flying cars and intends to lead the industry. The plan of the Asian nation is to start using these types of vehicles for logistics use in 2023 and by 2030 as transportation of people in urban areas.
“Japan is a densely populated country and that means flying cars could greatly relieve the burden of road traffic,” project leader Kouji Okada told Bloomberg.
During the last years in Japan the idea of flying cars has become popular and there are those who believe that the country has the necessary conditions to promote the industry. A specialized venture capital fund called Drone Fun was even established in the country to invest in the development of autonomous vehicles and flying cars.
Companies from other countries such as Airbus, Boeing and Uber have also focused their attention on the development of aerial vehicles that can be used within urban areas.
Source: Actualidad
