Autonomous Flying Taxi From Larry Page-Backed Startup Unveiled

It seems self-driving cars is not the only technological innovation with ties to Google now. A startup that was backed by the company’s co-founder Larry Page just unveiled a flying car with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The vehicle is intended to be an aerial taxi that can ferry passengers over short distances through the air and it can do so without a human pilot.

Called Cora, it’s made by the company Kitty Hawk, which also created a hoverbike that was widely panned for its awkward appearance. Page was known to be a major backer of the startup, Ars Technica reports, which ended up becoming its biggest selling point until now. With the unveiling of its flying taxi, Kitty Hawk might just become a major force in the transportation industry of the future.

As the startup’s Vice President Eric Allison also explains, this vehicle does not require a pilot’s license to be operated because it’s capable of flying on its own. The flying car can reach speeds of 110 mph and it has a range of 62 miles.

As The New York Times recently reported it, the startup recently struck a deal with the New Zealand government, which would allow it to operate a flying taxi service in the island country. Test flights have already been conducted in secret and only recently was it finally announced that such a vehicle actually exists.

Kitty Hawk is aiming to launch the service over the next three years, which would have several implications. The biggest of these would be the creation of a template that other nations could then follow when implementing their own flying car service operations.

One of the best things about the Cora, however, is that it is powered entirely by electricity. This makes it environmentally friendly, which already puts it leagues beyond what other flying car companies are offering.