The company attempting to bring the flying car to the masses has just released details of its next project: the four-seat, plug-in hybrid Terrafugia TF-X.
Currently under development and not planned to reach production until the first half of next decade, Terrafugia says the TF-X will be able to take off, fly and land almost completely autonomously, requiring only minimal input from the driver/pilot.
According to the Massachusetts-based entrepreneur, two 447kW electric motor pods launch the Terrafugia vertically before assisting a 224kW engine to get the road jet up to speed in the air. The engine also recharges the vehicle’s batteries while on the go.
Terrafugia is targeting a top speed of 322km/h for the TF-X as well as flying range of 805km.
The company says learning to fly the TF-X will take only a few hours thanks to its integration of “state of the art intelligent systems [and] fly-by-wire controls” designed to function as much like the controls in a car as possible.
Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich said the TF-X would take personal aviation to new levels of safety, simplicity and convenience.
“This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the future of the company beyond Transition development,” Dietrich said.
“We are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation.”
“TF-X is an opportunity to provide the world with a new dimension of personal freedom.”
Terrafugia is nearing production of its first flying car creation, the two-seat folding-wing Transition, which has been in development since 2006.
Introducing TF-X: Terrafugia's Vision for the Future of Personal Transportation
