Flying cars up for preorder but cost may be sky-high

By: Lianna Norman
Palm Beach Post
USA today Network - Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - this isn't science fiction or an episode of "The Jetsons." Real flying cars are up for presale right now.
..... Hundreds of startups around the world have been testing flying-car technology for years and are ready to start selling them.
..... According to Custom Market Insights research, "the Advanced Air Mobility Market size was estimated at USD 8.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit around USD 68.1 Billion by 2032, poised to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.2% from 202 to 2032."
..... An earlier projection from Business Insider predicts that the Advanced Air Mobility Market will surpass $1 trillion by 2040.
..... Needless to say, there's a to of money being invested in "flying cars," which are really called electric vertical Takeoff and Landing eVTOL, aircraft.
..... One Florida company developing flying cars, which got Federal Aviation Administration approval in 2023, is preparing to bring its eVTPL aircraft to garages. The presale to register for a flying car from Dormin Aerospace is already open.
..... The company is accenting preorders for tis first flying car, which is expected to actually be available for delivery sometime in 2026.
..... Reserving a Doroni aerospace H1 personal aircraft will cost a non-refundable deposit of $1,00 upfront, and the total price of the car upon production is anticipated to hover around $350,000. But the company says the total price is subject to change.
..... Like most new technologies - think back to when Tesla first hit the market - the first air taxi models are likely to be too pricey and rare for most people to buy one for their driveway.
..... People can sign up to buy a flying car right now, but it will cost between $170,000 and $350,000, depending on which company makes the vehicle.
..... In small print below the registration to reserve a Doroni Hi, Doroni's website says that the company estimates preorder "delivery in 2026 given the current production climate. The current retail price is based on current market trends and is subject of changes."
..... Based near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Doroni Aerospace was founded in 2016 and is backed by the city of Pompano Beach and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.
..... Doroni also receives support for resources like land, facilities and tooling from Space Florida, a state agency that works to preserve Florida's position in the aerospace industry.
..... Seven years after its conception and more than 50 test flights later, the company's H1 personal aircraft received FAA approval when it was cleared to be tested outdoors through a Special Airworthiness Certificate in November 2023.
..... "Florida is a big aviation hub, one of the best in the world for aviation maintenance," Doroni's CEO Doron Merdinger told the USA Today Network-Florida in July 2023. "It feels natural for us here. ... At this point, we're good in Florida."

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