Up up and away

The very idea of flying cars has long fascinated engineers and science fiction writers alike – bringing to life that third dimension in cities of tomorrow, where vehicles leave terra firms to take to the sky.

Earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show in March, Audi, the Audi subsidiary Italdesign and Airbus presented Pop.Up Next, an all-electric, fully automated concept for horizontal and vertical mobility, and now, the development of such a vehicle begins in earnest.

A letter of intent has been signed with partners from the fields of politics and industry in the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, with Bram Schot, interim CEO and Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG, announcing the start of the Urban Air Mobility project. Along with the Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer, Minister of State for Digital Affairs Dorothee Bär, Airbus CTO Grazia Vittadini, Mayor of Ingolstadt Dr. Christian Lösel and other representatives of politics and business, the joint EU project aims to be a model for air-taxi test operation in the Ingolstadt region. 

“Connected, electric and autonomous cars will make urban traffic more comfortable and cleaner and will save space – that means better quality of life for people in cities. This is where mobility in the third dimension can make a valuable contribution in the future,” said Mr Schot. “We welcome the involvement of the city of Ingolstadt and support the development of the region as a test field for air taxis,” he said. 

“We would like to use our know-how to improve urban life, and aim to develop new mobility concepts for cities and people’s various needs with the Urban Air Mobility project,” said Schot. In the distant future, concepts such as Pop.Up Next will be used to transport people quickly and comfortably on the roads and in the air in large cities, thus solving traffic problems.