Why Can't Flying Cars Be Popularized?
3 Answers
Flying cars cannot be popularized for the following specific reasons: 1. Energy consumption determines the impossibility of popularization: Flying cars and airplanes need to overcome the gravitational force acting on the curb weight during operation, and must achieve lift greater than this parameter, which requires increased horsepower; an ideally optimized flying car requires 300 metric horsepower to lift a one-ton object. The horsepower needed for acceleration or high-speed flight is immeasurable. 2. Safe driving cannot be achieved: Ordinary cars driving on roads already result in millions of annual accidents, and this is under the constraints of various traffic signals and strict traffic regulations. Flying cars operating in low-altitude areas lack adequate safety guidance, increasing the likelihood of collisions. The result of 'chasing planes' at high altitudes would inevitably be crashes, with unimaginable consequences.
The biggest obstacle to the widespread adoption of flying cars is the excessive technical complexity. Every time I see a concept video of a flying car, it looks cool, but in reality, just solving the stability issues during vertical takeoff and landing is headache-inducing. Last time I watched researchers testing a prototype, it took them half an hour just to counteract crosswinds. Battery life is another major issue—lithium batteries can only support about half an hour of flight before needing a recharge, while fuel-powered flight creates noise pollution. More importantly, the control system must be absolutely reliable, as there's no way to make an emergency stop mid-air. Until these technological barriers are overcome, mass production is simply unrealistic. Crashing a few prototypes in the lab is one thing, but letting people drive them daily is still too risky.
To be honest, the exorbitant price of flying cars is the real deal-breaker. A friend of mine in private equity did the math - the current R&D costs alone push the price per unit well over a million. That's not even counting maintenance - monthly rotor system inspections and navigation module updates could cost as much as a regular car. Cities would need to build takeoff/landing platforms, and retrofitting helipads costs dozens of times more than parking lots. Without price reductions, they'll remain toys for the wealthy. Even electric supercars are considered too expensive by many, let alone these luxury items requiring pilot licenses.
