this post was submitted on 04 May 2025
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London-based startup AltoVolo is aiming high with its entry in the developing eVTOL space. It plans to offer a powerful personal hybrid-electric aircraft that will seat three people, deliver 510 miles (821 km) of range, and hit cruise speeds up of to 220 mph (354 km/h) – all while making 80% less noise than a helicopter.

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[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 weeks ago (7 children)

AltoVolo says it's done with prototype flight testing, and is gearing up to build a full-scale demonstrator next.

Why don't they show those instead of the renders?

[–] whereisk@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago (6 children)

Because we’ve been building “flying cars” for 70 years with nothing to show for it other than prototypes. Or in this instance not even that - a render.

The idea is too sweet and the investor money from the gullible too ready to flow so we rehash it every decade or so, ignoring physics and logic.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (5 children)

They're just helicopters. That's what the flying car design converges to, at least if you need a pilot. And I think those will be required for a while longer.

[–] whereisk@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Yes - but here the words “flying car” do a lot of heavy lifting.

They feed people some expectations about an techno utopia as well as operating costs, availability, complexity, range, noise, maintenance none of which match reality.

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