Trump establishes flying car pilot program in June 6 order

The science fiction trope of flying cars — once thought to be reserved for the likes of Harry Potter and the Jetsons — might no longer be a futuristic dream if one of President Donald Trump's recent executive orders comes to fruition.  

The president signed three orders June 6 aimed at securing U.S. airspace and accelerating innovation in supersonic and drone technologies. One of those orders establishes a pilot program for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, colloquially called flying cars.

The developing technology blends conventional helicopters and airplanes. It can take off and land like a helicopter, but the aircraft transitions to wingborne flight like an airplane. An eVTOL is unique for its electric motors, which makes the aircrafts quieter and with zero operating emissions. 

Trump's executive order requires the transportation secretary to issue a public request for project proposals within 90 days of the executive order — by September 2025. 

The transportation secretary then will select at least five pilot projects to begin eVTOL operations. Details about selection criteria are limited. At a minimum, each project must use eVTOL aircraft and technologies "developed or offered by a United States-based entity," according to the order. Geographic and economic factors, and the intended use of the aircraft, will also be considered.

Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy responded to PolitiFact's request for more information.

The FAA has traditionally been cautious in its approach to new technologies, said John Goglia, former National Transportation Safety Board member. 

Yet Trump's orders "make progress towards implementing the next level of technology in transportation," Goglia said. 

One eVTOL development underway is an electric air taxi. California-based companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation designed aircrafts meant to zip passengers around cities as a taxi-service. 

After Trump's order, Archer Aviation raised an additional $850 million, according to a June 12 company press release. 

The company also signed an exclusive partnership with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games. Archer's eVTOL aircraft "Midnight" is slated to be the official air taxi provider for the 2028 games in Los Angeles. 

Archer spokesperson Kelly Law did not provide more details about the company's eVTOL pilot program, but said the company is working closely with the FAA and Transportation Department "to accelerate the certification and deployment of eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace." 

Trump's June 6 executive order set the development for vertical-takeoff flying cars in motion by establishing an eVTOL pilot program. We rate this promise In the Works.