Season 2 of Marques Brownlee’s (aka MKHB) Retro Tech has kicked off with episode one asking what precisely occurred to the promise of the legendary flying automotive of the longer term.

The tech YouTuber, who was not too long ago introduced as a columnist for TopGear Journal, examines why what was promised to us years in the past by standard tradition remains to be but to translate into actuality.

It’s been a dream that’s been a very long time coming, as for the reason that Aerocar of the ’60s we’ve been awaited the way forward for private mobility in flight. And whether or not it was watching The Jetsons on TV or the Again To The Future DeLorean on the large display screen, the longer term has all the time promised that we’ll at some point ditch the wheels and tires and as an alternative navigate our method across the skies.

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Seems, it’s not so simple as that. Brownlee introduces us to the mechanics of getting his 5,000 lb Tesla to hover. To get it into the air, we’re instructed it requires at the very least 1.6 MW of energy — that’s by way of chilly fuel thrusters – one thing Tesla is apparently working on for the brand new Roadster.

In response to Brownlee’s calculations, the Model S’ 100 kW battery might solely maintain a hover time of round 3-4 minutes – and that’s with none ahead motion. Which is a little bit of a comedown from the 315-mile vary when on terra firma.

See Additionally: Musk Says Roadster From Tesla Will Hover Thanks To Rocket Thrusters

After some exploration of Segways and hoverboards, it’s concluded that, whereas having some form of private airborne craft is a pleasant concept, plainly automobiles themselves will doubtless be confined to the bottom for a few years to return. As a substitute, we should always maybe be extra excited concerning the many software program options and the continued improvement in mobility choices that can little question form our roads for the many years to return.