The dutch company Pal-V has confirmed that its Liberty has been certified for road use in Europe. The Liberty had to undergo multiple tests to achieve it which included tests for high-speeding driving, emissions and noise levels. The flying car looks a lot like what you would think a flying car to look like it is a cross between a small helicopter and a very aerodynamic car with a foldable propeller on top, it’s basically an autogyro that doubles as a car. The only downside to the design of the Liberty is that it does require a runway for takeoff, which will limit the areas where it can be used for flight.
The Liberty is a gyrocopter which means its rotors are on top which provide lift but they are not powered by the actual engine, a separate propeller engine on the back of the car provides its thrust. While the car can hover like a helicopter it will not be able to take off or land vertically. It needs a runway with at least 590 feet long and 100 feet long for landings. The car can go up to 99 miles per hour in driving mode and in flight mode its max speed is 112 miles per hour, the vehicles internal-combustion engine is rated at 100 horsepower. As for range the Pal-V is said to expect 284 miles on the ground and 310 miles in the air (with a single passenger), the weight is about 1,455 pounds. Switching between flying to driving mode isn’t just a simple matter of extending the rotors or folding them away, its a process that will take several minutes.
The car is not allowed to fly yet it still will involve a lot of regulations, clearance from aviation and city commissions and also careful consideration of safety measures, like there will need to be designated areas or lanes in the air that drivers have to stick to so they avoid colliding with buildings, trees and other flying cars. There will also need to be regulations about how they can fly they will not be allowed to go anywhere near the 30,000 foot cruising altitude of planes. The maximum operating altitude for the Liberty is listed at 3,500 metres which is just under 11,500 feet.
The first examples which are being designated as Pioneer Editions will retail for $599,000. Pla-V plans to build 90 examples of those before switching over to the Liberty sport which will cost $399,000. It will include $150,000 worth of options and it is also being marketed as highly personable. Pal-V also said it hired Italian designers to make the cars design elegant and the interior is full leather.
You will obviously need a license for both ground and airborne adventures. However Pal-V can’t actually start production of the car until it passes quality tests with the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. For now there will only be just one of them roaming the streets with an official EU license plate.
