Roads, where we are going, we don’t need roads, is a famous movie quote which should take us to a future which is now. Looking around, we can see no flying cars, at least not the ones that we can purchase and legally drive anywhere. 

There are plenty of flying cars in movies and video games, but even then, we still don’t have flying cars readily available. Take Cyberpunk 2077 and most of the traffic is still on the land, still using tires to make contact with asphalt. So, what happened to the dream of flying cars? Are we ever going to get flying cars as a standard? Perhaps, but not anytime soon.

What is the Problem With Flying Cars?

Where to begin? The first problem is the people driving the flying cars, everyone. To get a license to operate a plane or a helicopter, one needs to go through rigorous training. It is not something to be taken lightly. After that, there are very strict regulations where you can and cannot fly. 

These things are not for everyone, because the risk involved is much larger. Yes, but the air is empty? At the moment, yes, but what if we had flying cars? The problem is that people cannot function with normal cars and accidents happen all the time. Add another couple of layers to that and the problem becomes even worse.  

People are unpredictable and such a system would need to be organized very tightly in order for there not to be any accidents. 

How Could We Get Flying Cars?

Well, with enough money, you could purchase a car which can fly. The problem with flying cars is not only the people, but an overall lack of interest and infrastructure. You cannot have flying cars which would then fly where? What are the lanes meant for the cars, what about the fuel? You cannot forget to have fuel for your flying car, otherwise you will endanger your own life and that of others.

Flying cars could work in theory, once self-driving cars become a reality. Remove all human interaction from the flying car except the destination and they might actually become a reality. The cars would fly to their destination and the person in the car would enjoy the ride, kind of like a taxi, but one which can fly and is driving the human.

The Manufacturers Are Working on Other Things

Given how unlikely it is that an entire new system of regulations is about to be invented to support flying cars, manufacturers are dedicating their time to other things, namely self-driving cars and ways in which they can improve fuel efficiency and safety. Given that no manufacturer has a short-term or even long-term plan to make a flying car, the world is very unlikely to come up with a new way of transportation. If nothing, flying buses and trains are more likely to happen, due to their already predetermined destinations and relatively predictable behavior. 

Flying cars are still many decades away, given our trajectory as a species. We are still yet to develop self-driving cars which would be road legal, or even legal at all, so we are many years away from having functional and mainstream flying cars. 

This would add an entire new layer of complexity to a system which is already chaotic enough and we are not ready for it.