PAL-V Liberty aims to be world’s first road and air-legal flying car

Dutch company PAL-V has shown a prototype version of its Liberty flying car, which it claims complies with aviation laws across the globe

A Dutch company has revealed what it believes will be the world’s first flying vehicle that will be both road and air-legal: the PAL-V Liberty. 

The car, with its three-wheel layout and rotor blades which fold away on top of the car, takes the form of a Gyrocopter aircraft; an unpowered large rotor on top provides lift, while an engine-powered blade on the rear of the vehicle gives thrust.

In a video which details the capabilities of the Liberty, a test driver claims that the PAL-V can take off from speeds as low as 50mph.

The first production run of 90 are for sale now, with larger agencies such as police forces having shown interest in the concept. Half of these, a limited edition variant on the PAL-V Liberty formula, are destined for Europe. PAL-V has anticipated each example to cost €500,000 (around £441,000). 

"We have recently started talking to buyers, have the first contracts in place and a lot of interest. We anticipate first deliveries in 2018 starting in Europe”, said Markus Hess, head of marketing and sales at PAL-V.

PAL-V has been fairly low-key about its flying vehicle so far, but says: “In the next several months you can expect to be hearing significant updates, as we commence manufacturing of the PAL-V Limited Edition model.”

“We have been working in silence for more than four years. Before making any new announcements, we wanted to make sure that all the checks are in the boxes,” said Robert Dingemanse, PAL-V CEO.

Despite the initial small production run, PAL-V’s ambition is for the car to be mass-produced, given the global marketing materials the company has released, as well as the product’s compliance with global aviation laws.