According to Science Daily , flying cars can become a reality in the near future. However, it is unclear what impact they will have on the environment - especially greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, scientists at the University of Michigan, USA, collaborated with Ford, conducting a research project that confirmed flying cars emit too much greenhouse gas, making it difficult to use them in city. The study of the effectiveness of the type of flight transport shows that the field of flight operation should be long-distance transport.

The authors of the study evaluated energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and time savings when flying cars compared to traditional cars. Although it is as‌sumed that flying cars will run on batteries, charging will still require electricity and electricity will not always be obtained from renewable energy sources.

Research shows that when flying over a distance of 100km, a fully-loaded car with driver and 3 passengers will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to vehicles on the ground. However, at shorter distances, less than 35km long, even gasoline-powered cars will emit less greenhouse gases than flying cars with only 1 passenger. This is important to consider because the average length of a city trip is 17km.

The results seem surprising, but easy to understand. The fact that the aircraft consumes most of the energy during takeoff, elevation and landing. At the same time, while stable horizontal flight, flying cars use fuel very efficiently. The authors of the study note that in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is best to use flying vehicles for long-distance flights, for example, between neighboring cities.

The results of the study do not put an end to the development of flying cars. To give a final idea about them, it is also necessary to calculate a range of other parameters from the price of the vehicle to the noise level they create. Meanwhile, robotic cars, another promising future transport technology, also raise many questions. Some experts believe that public transport without drivers is more dangerous than benefits.