When we last heard that Terrafugia was wanting to break into flying cars, I assumed it was just a publicity statement with no body. The American company is serious about the idea, providing new details about the air vehicle, including an expected production of next year.

The people: a group of MIT engineers, the goal: build a vehicle that meets the requirements for FAA's Light Sport Aircraft classification and is still practical for public roads. The result: the Transition.

The Transition is a two-seat vehicle with a foldable wing. This allows the car(?) to compress into the size of a standard car lane. Though should it desire the skies, the wing can unfold in less than a minute. It also has avionics and a safety parachute provided by Dynon and BRS aerospace firms.



The air-car will have a hybrid power system, pulling from a small combustion engine and an electric motor pulling from a lithium-iron phosphate battery. This less-common battery type was chosen for safety reasons, according to Terrafugia.

The Transition currently has an expected 400-mile range in the air, with a top flight speed of around 100 mph. The current model requires a runway to take flight. But the next design, known as the Transition TF-X, is expected to have a vertical take-off/landing option.

Pricing starts at $279,000, with reservations currently available for $10,000. The company has an expected delivery date of 2019, though it's been delayed before and it may be delayed again.

The future is here, almost.