The dream of flying cars has hovered in the collective imagination for decades. It’s a vision for a future where traffic jams are obsolete, and the skies are as accessible as highways. Today, with the rise of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology, that dream is inching closer to reality. Companies in this emerging sector paint a picture where futuristic, electric-powered vehicles zip through city skylines. Yet, for the average investor, the question remains: is this the next Tesla or the next Segway? The promise of early entry into a transformative market is tantalizing, but so are the inherent risks. In this guide, we’ll explore the 7 flying car stocks that investors should have on their radars.
Flying cars sit at the intersection of several high-growth industries—autonomous technology, clean energy, and advanced aerospace. Proponents believe these industries will converge to disrupt the automotive and aviation sectors. The economic potential is undeniable, with McKinsey projecting “urban air mobility” to be a $1.5 trillion market by 2040. And keep in mind that this is a brand new market that’s quite literally materializing out of thin air.
That said, there’s also a laundry list of uncertainties when dipping one’s toes in flying car stocks. Investors will need to grapple with regulatory hurdles, technological viability, infrastructure limitations, and the sheer amount of capital needed to bring these concepts to mass adoption. This is a classic moonshot: one that could pay off spectacularly or crash and burn. Early adopters must be comfortable with volatility, long timelines, and the very real possibility that flying cars remain grounded, at least for now. Put simply, this is a market that requires patience and a strong stomach.
Note: We make every effort to keep our info accurate and up-to-date. However, emerging tech moves fast and company situations can change overnight. This guide is an intro to the flying car market; but ultimately, do your own due diligence before taking action.
Joby Aviation (JOBY)
Joby Aviation (JOBY) boasts first-mover advantage, impressive engineering feats, and a key partnership with Uber.
In the world of flying car stocks, Joby Aviation has drawn comparisons to being the Tesla of the nascent air taxi industry. What makes Joby a standout is its engineering pedigree and first-mover advantage. Founded by JoeBen Bevirt in 2009, Joby has poured over a decade of R&D into its eVTOL aircraft. The company has amassed an impressive patent portfolio along the way. Joby’s air taxi prototype can travel at 200 mph and has a range of 150 miles, clearly trying to answer the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma of speed versus infrastructure.
From a strategic perspective, Joby is working to build an end-to-end mobility solution. Its partnership with Uber, finalized in 2020, gives it the kind of platform access others can only dream about. The idea is here the seamless integration of air and ground mobility. And if the recent FAA certification progress is anything to go by, Joby may just be the first to actually get humans up in the air. The target for initial commercial operations is 2025, but as any investor in this industry should know, timelines in aerospace are aspirational.
As of Q3 2024, Joby has about $800 million in cash, which in this capital-intensive market can be the difference between flying or floundering. It’s fair to say that Joby is at the forefront of the industry, but the risks are still sky-high. Like others, Joby is not immune to regulatory hurdles, untested demand, and the sobering limits of current battery tech. But if anyone’s going to pull off a “Tesla of the skies,” Joby’s got the tools—and the capital—to make it happen.
Archer Aviation (ACHR)
Archer Aviation (ACHR) focuses on mass-market appeal with strategic partnerships for scalable production.
If Joby is the Tesla, Archer Aviation is like the Volkswagen of the skies. A bit less glamorous but designed for mass appeal, offering reliability and value to a broader market. Archer’s flagship craft, the Midnight, is aimed squarely at being commercially viable by 2025. With its range of about 60 miles and a target cruise speed of 150 mph, Archer is focusing more on the short-hop urban air mobility segment. These are the kind of trips that make gridlocked Los Angeles or Miami a nightmare. Where Archer really gets interesting is its mix of strategic partnerships that reduce the barriers to market.
For example, their deal with United Airlines is a savvy move. United’s $10 million pre-delivery payment for 100 aircraft in 2023 suggests that the airlines see a future where short urban hops are offloaded to flying taxis. This could be crucial to Archer’s business model. It would shif its revenue stream away from a pure ride-hailing approach to a hybrid of selling aircraft to third-party operators and running its own services. Notably, Archer’s focus on FAA certification is aggressive, with a timeline aligned closely with Joby. It’s a race to be the first, and Archer seems willing to do whatever it takes to stay neck-and-neck.
One notable advantage Archer has is a manufacturing partnership with Stellantis—the carmaker behind brands like Chrysler and Jeep. This tie-up addresses one of the biggest pain points among flying car stocks: scalability. Where others might struggle to build at scale, Archer gets the know-how of a massive automaker that’s no stranger to assembly lines. Archer is positioning itself as the one that’s scrappy enough to actually deliver. Whether that’s a brilliant strategy or a case of “just winging it” will become apparent soon enough.
Vertical Aerospace (EVTL)
Vertical Aerospace (EVTL) aims to become a leading supplier of eVTOL aircraft rather than run its own air taxi fleet as a service.
The British entry among flying car stocks, Vertical Aerospace, might just be the one to bring a bit of old-world charm—and pragmatism—to an industry in overdrive. Founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, who also founded energy company OVO, Vertical is looking to position itself less like Tesla and more like Airbus. This means a focus on the aircraft itself, leaning towards becoming a supplier rather than running its own air taxi services.
Vertical’s VA-X4—which has since been rebranded to the VX4—is targeting a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 200 mph. It’s designed to carry four passengers and a pilot. In 2021, Vertical signed agreements with major airlines including American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Avolon, racking up what it claims are pre-orders worth $5.4 billion. Whether these “pre-orders” turn into realized sales or are just a way for airlines to signal a bit of innovation remains to be seen. Vertical also went public via SPAC in 2021, raising significant capital to advance certification and production. But as of late 2024, the cash burn continues to be a point of concern, with the company needing steady new investment to keep up the momentum.
Unlike Joby and Archer, Vertical is deliberately sidestepping the minefield of consumer air taxi services. Perhaps it’s rightly guessing that the market will be flooded with providers before long. The aerospace supply chain is Vertical’s goal, and it’s trying to convince investors that it can secure a slice of the multi-billion-dollar pie by being a critical supplier of certified eVTOL aircraft. It’s a strategy that’s less glamorous, but potentially more enduring—if they can get the numbers to add up.
Eve Air Mobility (EVEX)
Eve Air Mobility (EVEX), spun out of Embraer, is using legacy aviation expertise to offer reliable, practical air taxis.
Eve Air Mobility is one of the more intriguing flying car stocks of the bunch. Spun out of Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer, Eve is the old guard’s bid to disrupt themselves before a tech startup does it for them. With Embraer’s deep experience in regional jets and lean manufacturing, Eve is backed by legacy aviation experience. Eve’s eVTOL has a targeted range of 60 miles and is designed to be a practical urban air solution—nothing too flashy, but reliable and efficient.
One of Eve’s major selling points is that it’s leaning heavily into Embraer’s global network for manufacturing, certification, and operational support. Eve has secured orders from major players like Halo Aviation and partnerships with companies like Blade Air Mobility. So while everyone else is worried about R&D, Eve has already started selling the vision, quite literally.
The SPAC route brought Eve to public markets, but the market hasn’t exactly embraced flying cars with the fervor of the early electric vehicle craze. That said, Eve’s more grounded—pardon the pun—approach seems to be winning a few hearts. They’re targeting 2026 for certification, perhaps recognizing that rushing an aircraft to market might lead to crashes of a different sort. Eve’s pitch is clear: you want flying taxis, but you want them made by people who have built aircraft for decades. It’s a compelling pitch, but whether that legacy can translate to a brand-new market is the billion-dollar question.
Blade Air Mobility (BLDE)
Blade Air Mobility (BLDE) is focusing on scaling an asset-light marketplace to connect flying cars with passengers without actually building the aircraft.
Blade Air Mobility is not a flying car stock in the traditional sense. Instead, it aims to be the connective tissue between those who build the flying cars and the consumers who want to take to the skies. Blade’s strategy is unique: it’s essentially an asset-light, marketplace model. Rather than develop its own aircraft, Blade partners with manufacturers and helicopter operators to provide urban air mobility services. This is a pragmatic route. Basically, Blade relies on existing helicopters until eVTOLs are ready for prime time.
Currently, Blade operates across key metropolitan areas, including NYC, Los Angeles, and India. The company focuses on the short, high-value routes where congestion is at its worst. Think airport transfers, weekend escapes, and routes where time is truly money. Blade’s business is more akin to being an Uber of the skies but with a luxury twist, complete with leather seats and champagne. They’re forming relationships with several eVTOL manufacturers, including Eve and Beta Technologies. Blade’s approach is to simply integrate whichever platform ends up winning the eVTOL sweepstakes.
Financially, Blade has minimal R&D costs, allowing it to focus purely on scaling up its service model and brand recognition. The company has also made moves to acquire operators, like Helijet’s urban operations in 2022, to enhance its immediate capabilities. Unlike other flying car stocks, Blade’s near-term success won’t rely on developing cutting-edge aircraft. Instead, it will need to scale its service while ensuring that, when the eVTOLs are certified, they already have a robust customer base eager to fly. It’s a play on being the toll booth of urban air travel rather than the vehicle itself.
EHang Holdings (EH)
EHang Holdings (EH) is the bold wild card, betting on a fully autonomous air mobility future with deep ties to Chinese regulators to make it happen.
EHang Holdings is the wild card among flying car stocks. Unlike most of its competitors, EHang is betting entirely on an autonomous future. The Chinese company has developed the EHang 216, an autonomous, two-passenger eVTOL. EHang is skipping the pilot entirely, aiming to create a fully autonomous air mobility network. This is a concept that sounds impressive until you start asking how exactly the regulators will handle it.
EHang has been active in securing partnerships across China and in international markets, pushing for smart city integration. They’ve already conducted thousands of test flights and are working closely with Chinese regulators to create a framework for autonomous flight. This close government relationship might be EHang’s ace in the hole. In China especially, the government’s long-term urban planning aligns with the kind of cityscape EHang is envisioning.
However, skepticism remains. The lack of a pilot makes regulatory approval in Western markets a daunting challenge. EHang’s financials have been shaky. While they’ve seen impressive revenue growth, profitability is still elusive. In the near term, the company is focusing on tourism applications, like scenic flights in China, as a way to bridge the gap between testing and full-scale urban deployment. If EHang can overcome regulatory and perception hurdles, it might leapfrog the competition with its bold autonomous vision… but that’s a big ‘if’ in an industry already full of them.
Lilium (LILM)
Lilium (LILM) is a high-risk, high-reward play that targets regional air travel with a long-range, jet-like eVTOL.
Lilium differentiates itself among flying car stocks with its unique jet-like aircraft design. Founded in 2015 in Germany, Lilium is pursuing a fixed-wing eVTOL aircraft that uses 36 small tilting electric jet engines. This is a distinct departure from the rotor-based design of its competitors. This design allows Lilium’s aircraft to target a much longer range of 155 miles at a cruise speed of 175 mph. It’s more akin to a regional airliner than a short-hop urban shuttle.
The Lilium Jet, as it’s called, can carry up to six passengers and a pilot. It’s meant to serve high-demand routes over longer distances rather than purely urban routes. This strategy has resonated with investors looking for something a bit different. Lilium went public via SPAC in 2021 and has since signed tentative agreements with multiple regional operators, including Brazil’s Azul Airlines, to develop future networks. The idea is not just to shuttle people across cityscapes but to connect entire regions. If pulled off well, this strategy would expand Lilium’s target market significantly.
Financially, Lilium faces challenges similar to its peers: high burn rates and the need for substantial ongoing funding to get through certification and into production. Lilium’s certification process with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be key. They’re betting on European regulation moving faster than that of the United States. The company is targeting initial passenger flights by 2025, but delays are always a risk in this industry.
Investor Takeaways
The flying car market is a tantalizing space filled with dreams of a Jetsons-like future—but for investors, it’s a game of calculated risk. On one hand, you have companies like Joby and Archer that are gunning to be first movers, with ambitious timelines. Joby has the technological edge and a long runway of cash, while Archer brings its own smart collaborations. Vertical Aerospace and Eve Air Mobility, meanwhile, are playing the pragmatist’s game. They focus on leveraging legacy aerospace expertise and forging deep industry partnerships.
Blade Air Mobility offers a different value proposition entirely. Blade doesn’t bother with the flying cars themselves, but focuses on being a market maker in the middle. Then there’s EHang, betting on full autonomy, and Lilium, chasing long-range, regional air travel. Both offer bold visions that hinge on overcoming significant technological and regulatory barriers.
For investors, the opportunities are vast but so are the risks. The regulatory landscape is unpredictable. The technological hurdles are high. And the timeline to profitability is still murky at best. Yes, there is potential here for huge gains. But we’re just as likely to see continued volatility as these companies navigate uncharted skies. The winners could become household names. The losers? Thrown into the scrap heap alongside the likes of Segway and Hyperloop.