The concept car is said to be zero-emission and fully electric and, being half car half quadcopter, adapts to both ground and airborne transport.
Airbus’s Mathias Thomsen described it as being a mobility system, saying: “You’re in your capsule, you don’t have to go in and out, it’s integrated, it’s seamless, it will be the most pleasant way of getting around town, getting to the airport. I think it will be irresistibly nice.”
Not only is Pop.Up. designed to manoeuvre people upward and onward, it is interactive. Users can pick a destination, check their social media accounts and discover points of interest along their route via a touch screen. Connectivity also means those users can plan everything via an app on their smartphone or tablet.
Thomsen explained: “We have wearable technology which identifies you when you get in. You have a big display that tells you what’s going on, you get access to your own content, you can enjoy your space and take back time while you travel.”
The largest problem in promoting Airbus’s new form of travel is government regulations and red tape in most countries. However, Airbus remains optimistic that countries will make appropriate changes to embrace this form of travel.
Airbus plans to have its first demonstrator flying by the end of 2017 and expects the system to be up and running in seven to ten years.
