This one may well tickle the fancy of avgeeks and wannabe aviators. And for those of you old enough to remember The Jetsons – perhaps you need to take a look at the latest four-seater flying car!
ASKA, a Silicon Valley air mobility company has completed the successful ground and systems testing of its drive and fly eVTOL vehicle.
Fly and drive eVTOL
This is included on street driving tests as the innovative ASKA™ A5 took supervised road tests around Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Stanford University.
“The first full-scale working prototype of the ASKA™ A5 eVTOL debuted in January at CES in Las Vegas. We are making excellent progress toward full flight tests,” said Guy Kaplinsky, CEO/Cofounder.
“People are curious to see ASKA™ sharing the road with other vehicles. It makes the idea of a flying car seem real.”
Maki Kaplinsky, CoFounder/Chair & COO, explains: “ASKA is the first company to start the type certification process with the FAA as a drive and fly eVTOL. The FAA accepted ASKA through their intake board in November 2022 and we are working closely with them.”
The size of an SUV, ASKA™ A5 is the world’s first drive & fly eVTOL, a real flying car. The 4-seater can travel by road and air.
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ASKA™ A5 is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) from a helipad, and can also enter an airfield by driving through the airport gate, then open the wings and take off.
It can perform an energy-efficient short/conventional takeoff from the runway using the in-wheel motors and thrust from the props.
Hybrid eVTOL technology
ASKA™ A5 makes maximum use of existing infrastructure, such as parking, charging stations, airfields, helipads and runways, for seamless integration into city and suburban landscapes.
For vertical take-off or landing, ASKA™ A5 needs only a compact space, such as a helipad or vertiport.
The vehicle fits in existing parking spaces, it can be charged at home and EV charging stations. The range extender engine uses premium gasoline purchased at existing automotive gas stations.
ASKA™ A5 is targeted for commercialization in 2026 subject to certification. Pre-order reservations are now being accepted.
ASKA is an air mobility company based in Mountain View, California and developer of the ASKA™️A5 drive & fly eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing), a real flying car.
The world’s first drive & fly eVTOL enables people to move faster and greener with the comfort of door to door travel, making maximum use of the existing infrastructure.
It drives on the road like a car, capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and takeoff and landing (STOL), and flies like an aircraft.
ASKA was founded in 2018 by Maki and Guy Kaplinsky, serial technology entrepreneurs. Their previous startup, IQP Corporation, was an early innovator in the Internet of Things and acquired by GE in 2017.
Editor’s Note: Just for the record, this looks nothing like The Jetsons Flying Car…..
