In a news conference loaded with “Back to the Future” and “The Jetsons” references, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Florida would become a national hub for testing ultralight electric aircraft, generally considered the next frontier of electric vehicles.

Although many people call them “flying cars,” without wheels or landing gear, they’re more like human-sized drones that can take off or land without a runway. The industry refers to them as electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs.

  • chellewalker@lemmy.caEnglish
    23·
    2 days ago

    In recent years, Florida has sat on a pot of nearly $200 million it received from the federal government to add more EV chargers near highways. Even as most other states moved ahead with the program created by the bipartisan infrastructure law Congress passed in 2021, Florida lagged behind, frustrating EV advocates and gas stations that wanted to help build the chargers.

    Now, the state is using that money for eVTOL projects, like an “Aerial Highway Network” that includes ports for the aircraft to charge, take off and land, according to documents obtained by the Miami Herald. It’s unclear if that’s the same project as the test track advancements DeSantis touted Monday.

    Oh cool, they’re doing it just to give a middle finger to EVs.