In 1940, Henry Ford said, “Mark my word: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming.”
In 2014, another automotive giant said, “There would be a greater probability of something falling on your head.”
Many have called Tesla CEO Elon Musk the next Henry Ford, but it looks like his internal voice of reason isn’t completely overshadowed by his ambition.
But it’s not just the potential for falling objects that concerns Musk. The shift from ground-based transportation to the air means a dramatically different horizon, so you can kiss those Instagram sunset selfies goodbye.
Speaking at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit yesterday, Musk said, “I’m not sure about the flying cars. If the sky was full of cars flying all over the place, it would affect how things look. It would affect the skyline.”
“Those are not good things,” he affirmed.
That doesn’t mean that air-based commuting is without upsides, though.
“On the other hand, you’d be able to go from one place to another faster,” Musk continued. The open air could also mean less traffic “choke points,” he said, but our aviary friends probably wouldn’t be too thrilled.
Elon Musk also warned us about the dangers of artificial intelligence recently, so it’s possible this man knows something we don’t. Considering he has his hand in space travel, solar energy, electric cars, and high-speed transportation, we should probably listen to him.
Related: Artificial intelligence could be ‘worse than nukes,’ Tesla CEO Elon Musk says
Stay tuned to Digital Trends for an announcement from Musk regarding the Tesla Model S and the mysterious ‘D.’
Last week, the Tesla CEO tweeted a cryptic photo of the car with the caption, “About time to unveil the D and something else.” Many have debated the significance of the D, but longer range, all-wheel drive, semi-autonomous, and high performance versions are all possibilities.
The announcement should be coming later today.
(Photo via Reuters)
