Flying car startup Pal-V has received an order for 100 of its flying vehicles from Aviterra, a Dubai company that plans to bring the flying vehicles to the Middle East and Africa.
The 10-year-old Netherlands startup already opened a showroom dedicated to flying cars in Munich, Germany.
Customers would be able to drive the vehicles themselves or use Aviterra's services, according to the company.
The Pal-V (personal air and land vehicle) vehicle Liberty is certified to drive on public roads and expects its aviation certification this year.
“The PAL-V is the perfect tool for our customers’ regional travel requirements, offering a combination of flying and driving,” said Mouhanad Wadaa, managing director of Aviterra. “It’s truly an innovation that will change mobility as we know it. While running a business aviation company, we’ve always kept a close eye on the emerging advanced air mobility industry.”
Loggia Investment, the investment arm of Aviterra, is also an investor in Pal-V.
"Aviterra and Mr. Wadaa have vast experience in aviation, understand our certification process, and have an excellent reputation in the business aviation industry,” said Pal-V's CEO and founder Robert Dingemanse.
The Pal-V Pioneer Edition is powered by e-fuels and hybrid fuel technologies.
The flying vehicle differs from others coming to market around the world. Those are primarily VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles, which do not require a runway since they take off vertically, and most are electric.
The Pal-V Liberty is a gyroplane, which has relatively small, fixed wings and a rear propeller that pushes it forward, causing a rotor atop the vehicle to spin. The vehicle, somewhat of a cross between a helicopter and a plane, requires an airfield to take off and land and is powered by a 200-horsepower engine.
The two-person vehicle has a land range of 1287 kilometers with a maximum speed of 160 kilometers/hour and a flight range of up to 483 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 3352 meters.
Transformation from road driving to flying takes five minutes, according to the company.
Pal-V has different versions of its Liberty flying car, including a sport edition and a pioneer edition, which is highly personalized.
Retail showrooms for aerial vehicles already are in the works in the U.S. with others on the way.
Source: iotworldtoday.com