The Terrafugia Transition: Flying car approved for road use

The Jetsons were right. We have moving sidewalks. And now we have flying cars.

The Terrafugia Transition has been deemed roadworthy by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after granting the "roadable aircraft" special exemptions.

The official press release states that it's "the first combined flying-driving vehicle to receive such special consideration from the Department of Transportation since the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards came into being in the 1970s."

One of those exemptions involves the windscreen. While NHTSA usually requires the installation of automotive safety glass, it permitted the Transition to use polycarbonate materials to save weight and prevent shattering should a bird fly into the windshield. The Transition also uses special tires that are rated for highway speeds but can withstand takeoffs and landings.

Terrafugia boasts that the Transition "is also the first to incorporate automotive safety features such as a purpose-built energy absorbing crumple zone, a rigid carbon fiber occupant safety cage, and automotive-style driver and passenger airbags."

According to CNET, the two-seater's wings take less than a minute to fold and expand to a wingspan of 26 feet. In driving mode, the vehicle is 90 inches wide. It's 19-feet long, and has a range of nearly 500 miles.

It's not quite living-in-sci-fi-movies-worthy — the car can't take off in the middle of a traffic jam, rising above its non-airworthy counterparts — but will likely prove most ideal for pilots who want to drive and fly with the same vehicle, making the drive to the airport more efficient. In inclement weather, a journey can continue on land. And there's no need for a trailer or hangar now that you can park your plane in the driveway.

Engadget reports that there a few hurdles for the Transition, which is set to go into production later this year. When fully fueled, the cabin can only hold 330 pounds — yes, that includes passengers — and the price recently jumped to $250,000.