Is The AirCar the Future of Mobility?
30th May 2025
Most of us know the pain of being stuck in traffic on the morning commute… or the school run, or any time you might dare to leave the house on a Bank Holiday. Fortunately, Slovakian company Klein Vision have come up with a solution – and it offers far more scenic views than your average five-mile tailback on the M6.
The concept of a flying car, once confined to science fiction, is now far closer to the forecourt than you might think.
Klein Vision’s AirCar - a dual-mode vehicle that operates both on the road and in the air - is expected to enter mass production in 2026, with a commercial model already certified to fly.
This innovation is more than a novelty born from the 1980s DeLorean DMC-12. The AirCar’s ability to transform from a road-legal vehicle to a certified aircraft in under 90 seconds is a feat of precision design and advanced manufacturing - areas that continue to evolve thanks to material science and casting innovations.
Should you be lucky enough to get behind the wheel of an AirCar on the next few years, you’ll find:
- Dual functionality. Operating as both a road vehicle and an aircraft, it’s the best of both worlds!
- Rapid transformation. Converting from car to plane in under 90 seconds, you can decide on-the-fly, if you want to fly.
- Travel flexibility. Offers the freedom to avoid road traffic and fly direct, avoiding the jams that disrupt your journey.
- High performance. Cruises at 155 mph with a flight range of 621 miles, so you’ll get plenty of air miles.
- Better use of time. Reduces travel duration by avoiding traffic, so you can get to where you want to be, quicker.
- Lightweight design. Built with advanced composites for super- streamlined flight, you’ll feel light as a feather while you’re soaring high.
Powered by a BMW engine, the AirCar has had over 170 hours of test flights and completed more than 500 take-offs. Test results are impressive - At a cruising height of 18,000 feet, it operates at altitudes more commonly associated with private jets than city commuters.
For companies like MAT Foundry Group, which supplies critical cast components to automotive OEMs, the AirCar highlights how the demands on design, safety and materials are evolving.
While still a niche market, flying cars present a new frontier for precision parts - components not only have to endure high mechanical loads on the ground but also withstand airborne stresses like vibration, temperature fluctuation and aerodynamic strain.
Moreover, as these vehicles become more common, manufacturers will need to adapt to entirely new supply chain models and production standards. Lightweighting, already a key objective in automotive casting, becomes even more crucial when vehicles are expected to take off! Heat-resistant alloys, advanced testing protocols and digitally integrated manufacturing methods – characteristic of modern foundries - will play a pivotal role in enabling this next generation of travel.
While widespread adoption of flying cars remains some years away, the AirCar is proof that the technology is not only possible but viable. Infrastructure, regulation and public acceptance will all need to catch up with the pace of change, but the engineering challenge has been met and surpassed.
As the line between road and air transport begins to blur, the industries that support it -automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing - will be more connected than ever. The AirCar may not replace everyday vehicles just yet, but it signals a new era where the sky’s the limit.