After a rough start, Tesla appeared to get back on track during the third quarter, beating both sales and earnings estimates. But, buried amidst all the financial data, CEO Elon Musk said there won’t be a $25,000 Tesla and the EV maker’s potentially rocket-powered Roadster is delayed – again. But he may be working on a flying Tesla.
Flying cars
Toyota Investing Another $500 Million in Flying Cab Start-up Joby Aviation
As the first flying cabs approach production, Toyota is more than doubling down on its stake in Joby Aviation, a California-based an electric air mobility start-up that is now test flying its first production prototypes.
GM Announces Potentially Far-Reaching Collaboration with Hyundai
General Motors have inked a Memorandum of Understanding, a preliminary agreement that could lead to joint work on everything from hydrogen fuel-cells to the development and production of new gas and battery-powered vehicles. But the MoU raises questions about the future of GM’s current relationship with Japanese automaker Honda.
Automakers and the Aircraft Industry Team to Make Cars Fly
The future of transportation is looking up – quite literally. Imagine, instead of an hour to 1 ½ hour drive to the airport, you can hop into a flying taxi somewhere in or around your neighborhood and get to the airport to fly on your scheduled long-haul jet in less than 10 minutes. That would be a game changer for modern, personal travel. It’s actually happening sooner than you may think.
Stellantis Invests $55 Million in Air Taxi Start-Up
Stellantis has invested an additional $55 million in Archer Aviation, a pioneer in the fast-emerging field of drone-like flying taxis. That follows a previous $110 million investment the Euro-American automaker made in Archer. And it comes at a time when the start-up completed a milestone flight and is preparing to open up a new assembly plant in Georgia.
Best of CES 2024
Computers, TVs, drones, “smart” appliances, digital cameras. If those are the things you think of when someone mentions “consumer electronics,” you’re not alone. But you should add automobiles to the list as, these days, they’re starting to look more like smartphones on wheels. Indeed, high-tech “mobility” was one of the big topics at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And Headlight.News was there, checking out the latest high-tech vehicles, features and services. These are the standouts.
12 Questions for Raymond J. “RJ” Schreiner, Chief Test Pilot for Flying Taxi Startup Supernal
From Henry Ford to the Jetsons, the idea of flying cars has long caught the public imagination. And, finally, they may be coming to reality. Headlight.News talks to RJ Schreiner, a former Marine pilot who’s now chief test pilot for Supernal, the Hyundai subsidiary that debuted its S-A2 flying cab at CES 2024.
Hyundai Takes to the Air with Supernal Flying Taxi
Four years after showing off an electrically-power vertical takeoff and landing concept at the Consumer Electronics Show, Hyundai is back with a prototype set to begin flight testing later this year. Headlight.News checks out the latest from the Korean carmaker’s new Supernal eVTOL subsidiary.
The Past Lane: A Famous Author, A Famous Book, A Famous Movie
It seems like just another innocuous children’s film. Titled Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this 1968 British musical hit theatres this week in 1968 starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes. The film concerns a down-on-his-luck inventor who turns a broken-down Grand Prix...
Mercedes Getting “Hyper-Personal’ at CES 2024
More than 500 automakers, auto suppliers and other “mobility” manufacturers will be on hand for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, including Mercedes-Benz. The German luxury brand plans to introduce a “hyper-personalized” version of its MBUX infotainment system, using AI to deliver a more “natural, human-like interaction.” Headlight.News looks at what Mercedes, BMW, Honda and other automakers have in store for CES 2024.
Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles (VTOLs): The Next Frontier in Personal Mobility
Automotive expert Tim Jackson uses his three decades of industry experience to shed some light on the potential of flying cars, more specifically, Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicles, or VTOLs. Check out what he believes is the future of transportation at Headlight.News.
Mercedes-Maybach Goes Up, Up and Away!
Space, the final frontier? It seems like space tourism is finally becoming a real thing. And Mercedes-Maybach wants to get in on the action. But its partnership with Space Perspective, which bills itself as a “carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company” will take passengers up into the heavens in an appropriately luxurious style. Get the story at Headlight.News.