Flying cars a reality soon? Volkswagen explores possibility in China

Volkswagen has joined a slew of companies such as Uber, Hyundai, Daimler, and Airbus which are looking to tap the potential technology of flying cars. The German automobile giant is conducting a feasibility test about flying cars in China.

Volkswagen said, "Beyond autonomous driving the concept of vertical mobility could be the next step to take our mobility approach into the future, especially in the technically affine Chinese market. Therefore, we are investigating potential concepts and partners in a feasibility study to identify the possibility to industrialize this approach."

The European automaker's China head Stephan Woellenstein told Volkswagen CEO Herbery Diess in an interview on LinkedIn that the company wants to develop a drone that can be licensed in a bid to participate in this future market. China is the biggest automobile market globally and also accounts for a lion's share of Volkswagen's sales.

This news comes as companies are racing to cash in on the commercial 'robo-taxis' market which could be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040. Though it sounds exciting, vertical mobility brings with itself many more challenges including safety and reliability compared to electric mobility. Flying vehicles will need to operate in crowded airspace and will also need a regulatory framework, which can take years to materialise.  

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