Terrafugia just got FAA approval to test their flying cars

By Lulu Chang Published December 18, 2015

Why drive a car, autonomous or otherwise, when you can fly one? That seems to be the question of the day at the Federal Aviation Administration, where test flights in U.S. airspace have just been approved. The celebrating party is none other than Terrafugia, a company that specializes in airborne vehicles. Its TF-X flying car will soon be whizzing around skies in northeast American for the purposes of further research and development. “It’s a significant milestone in the development of the program and we’re really excited to be moving forward,” Terrafugia spokesperson Dagny Dukach told R&D Magazine.

Sadly, you won’t be able to jump in and take one of these cars to the skies anytime soon — the prototypes that have been cleared for flight are just mini versions of the real thing. Coming in at just two feet long and with a weight limit of 55 pounds, it will still be some time before we’re in Jetsons territory. Still, this latest development marks a huge step forward in the development of the technology, as Dukach: “The FAA exemption will allow Terrafugia to test the hovering capabilities of a one-tenth scale TF-X vehicle and gather flight characteristics data that will drive future design choices.”

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Terrafugia has been toying with the idea of flying cars for the last ten years or so, and their concept for the TF-X will feature semi-autonomous flight, meaning that you’d need less training to fly this car than you would to operate, say, an actual airplane. But there are still a number of issues that need to be worked out, including how the vehicle would be powered. Currently, the company plans for the TF-X to operate as a plug-in hybrid-electric, but exactly how this would come to fruition has yet to be determined.

If and when we do finally see the TF-X in real life, it will cruise at speeds of 200 miles per hour and will have a 500 mile flight range. And without any runway space needed for take off or landing, you could literally just lift off from your driveway.

So as excited as you are for self-driving cars to come to market, get even more pumped about the flying version.

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Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

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Japanese startup reveals videos of flying car’s first manned test flight

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Japanese startup SkyDrive confirmed that it has completed the first manned test flight of its SD-03 flying car, with videos showing the vehicle in action.

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Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics

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Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

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Electric Muscle Misfire? Dodge Pulls Charger Daytona R/T from 2026 Lineup

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The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, once hailed as the vanguard of Dodge’s electric muscle car future, is being dropped for the 2026 model year.
According to a report from MoparInsiders, the Scat Pack variant will now lead the Daytona lineup, marking a significant pivot in Stellantis’ EV strategy.
Originally introduced with bold ambitions, the Charger Daytona R/T was designed to offer an accessible gateway into electric performance. With its 456-horsepower dual-motor setup and optional 509-horsepower Direct Connection stage kit, it seemed poised to excite both muscle car fans and EV newcomers. However, market realities have painted a different picture.
Industry and media reports highlight the core issue: buyers just weren’t biting. Despite its impressive specs and nostalgic design cues, the R/T struggled to justify its price tag, starting near $60,000. At that level, buyers expected either more performance or more premium features. Without strong sales traction, Dodge made the tough call to shelve the R/T variant for 2026, opting instead to focus on trims that resonate better with customers.
As we reported in December, the Charger EV was launched with an off-beat marketing message to “save the planet from self-driving sleep pods.” The goal was to retain Dodge’s brand identity—muscle, aggression, and driver engagement—even in the electric era. The Charger Daytona R/T was supposed to be the perfect balance of price and performance, but it seems the target audience wasn’t ready to make that leap at that price.
Importantly, this doesn’t spell the end of the Charger Daytona altogether. Higher-performance models like the Scat Pack and Banshee are still in the pipeline and, interestingly, are being adjusted for price competitiveness. Several trims are reportedly seeing price cuts, suggesting Stellantis is serious about making these vehicles more appealing and accessible.
For enthusiasts, the takeaway is clear: the electric muscle car isn’t going anywhere, but automakers are still figuring out how to sell it. The demise of the R/T is less a failure and more a recalibration—proof that even the boldest plans need to stay flexible in the face of consumer demand.