Elon Musk, owner of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, is on the forefront of some of today’s most outlandish ideas – and often he makes them happen despite the critics. But only if it fits in his schedule of course. The Hyperloop is one idea he opened to the public, saying he didn’t have time to act on it.
He has time for his flying car however, and a submarine car as well! He says the problem isn’t building a flying car; it’s building a quiet flying car. As for the submarine, he only plans to build 2 or 3, as the market for those is undoubtedly low.
All these ideas sound like they came straight out of a sci-fi movie. Many critics agree that not only is a flying car unrealistic, it’s also completely unneeded. You may build a flying car affordable for enthusiasts and rich businessmen, but while it may avoid traffic, you’ll be going miles out of your way to land or take off from airports. Not to mention gas mileage and effects on the environment.
But are the critics right? They’re been wrong before. From the website Things People Said, they quote a past “bad prediction” about the future role of the computer:‘I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.’ -The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.”
How can we say that flying cars will not shape our country in the same way computers have? Flying cars have been a thing to look forward to for over a century. With current technological advances – such as solar energy and the replacement of gas with electricity – maybe the time for flying cars has finally come.
With the new technology, ideas are springing forth. Elon Musk isn’t the only one toying with the idea of a flying car. Toyota is dabbling in the idea of a new hover car, and Terrefugia, a company in Massachusetts, has what they call a “street-legal airplane”, which is already undergoing test flights. It seems like the future is moving in whether we’re ready or not.
