Can't Wait For Tesla's 'Flying Car'? Here's What You Can Buy Right Now

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday unveiled his company's new Roadster that he described as a "flying" car. During a livestreamed event at his SpaceX rocket company's facility, the sports car, equipped with thrusters, launched from a steep ramp and landed on his wheels. Musk said the car will go into production in 2028, but nobody is sure if the new Roadster is just an "engineering flex" to show off extreme physics, or will it be available to everyday commuter?

READ | Tesla Roadster Flew And Landed Safely: How High, How Far And What's The Cost?

American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss debuted the first flying car prototype in 1917. Since then, they have come a long way and are mostly being designed as Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. These vehicles are catching daily commuters' fancy because they open the prospect of shifting the travel from congested roads to airspace.

However, daily commuting by air faces strict limitations from city noise regulations, safety/air-traffic control over dense buildings, and high maintenance or energy costs.

Here are a few personal flying vehicles that you can buy or reserve currently and fulfill your dream of owning a roadable aircraft.

• Klein Vision AirCar: This is a sports car that transforms into an airplane in 90 seconds. Sales are set to begin at a starting price of roughly $800,000.
• Alef Model A: A road-legal electric vehicle that can drive on streets and take off vertically. It has received special airworthiness certification from the FAA with reservations open.
• Samson Switchblade: A three-wheeled roadable aircraft that switches between driving and flying modes in about three minutes. It is priced around $170,000 to $195,000 as a kit-built aircraft.
• AeroMobil: A two-seater hybrid transformable vehicle that converts from a car to an aircraft in under three minutes, featuring a turbocharged internal combustion engine and a ballistic recovery parachute.

Apart from these, there are some personal eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) as well, such as Rictor X4 (RTOR X4), priced at $39,900, Jetson ONE, costing roughly $128,000 to $148,000, Pivotal Helix (BlackFly) and Air ONE.