LSN : News : 23 : 05 : 25

AirCar readies for launch, ushering in an era of casual air mobility

AirCar by Klein Vision, Slovakia

Slovakia – Automotive manufacturer and designer Klein Vision has announced that its AirCar – a road-legal vehicle that converts into a certified aircraft in under two minutes – will be commercially available by early 2026.

The hybrid vehicle, developed by renowned engineer and designer Stefan Klein, has already secured its Certificate of Airworthiness and completed over 170 hours of test flights, including 500 take-offs and landings.

Presented at the Living Legends of Aviation Gala – where Klein received the Special Recognition Award for Engineering Excellence – the AirCar was celebrated not as a spectacle, but as a legitimate engineering feat. ‘With the launch of our production prototype, we are one step closer to transforming how the world moves,’ says Klein. ‘The AirCar fulfils a lifelong dream to bring the freedom of flight into the hands of everyday people.’

The vehicle’s commercial release in early 2026 will make it the first certified flying car available for purchase, expected to retail at around £745,000 ($1m, €886,000). Co-founder Anton Zajac describes it as a ‘true dual-mode vehicle’ built to meet the rigorous demands of road and air performance – a major milestone in a market projected to exceed £121bn ($163bn, €144bn) by 2034 (source: Precedence Research).

This development brings us closer to a future of casual air mobility, where commuting, tourism and logistics are reshaped by airborne alternatives to traditional transport. For more, read our CES 2024: Smart Living Futures report.

Strategic opportunity

Businesses in tourism, hospitality and luxury should begin exploring how to serve a new class of airborne customers – whether that’s reimagining concierge services for short-haul air arrivals, designing air-to-ground travel hubs or positioning premium experiences around speed, exclusivity and aerial access

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Oduwole discusses Gen Z parenting, pennies and propaganda.

: The ‘propaganda I’m not falling for’ trend reflects the growing politicisation of TikTok and rise of safe hate spaces, a movement that’s been brewing for some time. In classic Gen Z fashion, the trend blends unserious humour with a healthy dose of dry cynicism. Whether it’s mocking run club culture or conservative crunchy teens, the message is clear: Gen Z is pushing back. This wave of digital dissent mirrors the broader themes in our Cracking the Algorithm Code report. Disillusionment with big data, government systems and the relentless pace of the trend cycle is fuelling a kind of digital nihilism. We anticipate a continued shift towards online ‘rewilding’, where Gen Z seek out safe, niche communities that offer authenticity, autonomy and resistance to algorithmic control.

: In a similar vein, the rise of ‘soft saving’ reflects a growing shift in Gen Z’s financial mindset, one that prioritises present-day happiness over long-term wealth. According to the most recent Harvard Youth Poll, more than 40% of Americans aged 18–29 say they’re ‘barely getting by’ financially, while only 16% report doing well. Although 86% say financial stability is important, just 56% feel confident they’ll achieve it. As explored in our Cultural Capital report, this speaks to Gen Z’s YOLO-FOMO approach to money, shaped by economic precarity, pandemic-era disruption and a redefinition of what success really looks like.

: In other news, a report released by Greenback Expat Tax Services reveals that more than one in four Gen Z American expats have already given birth abroad and nearly two-thirds plan to. Rising living costs, an unstable US healthcare system and concerns over political instability and citizenship laws are prompting younger parents to seek smoother, more affordable birth experiences overseas. Countries including Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany are emerging as preferred destinations, signalling a new era of parenting for the newly arrived Generation Beta.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Quote of the week

‘This is a generation that’s weathered pandemic isolation during formative years, entered an unstable economy and faced skyrocketing housing and education costs, all while being told they’re not resilient enough...what Gen Z needs isn’t another lecture, but genuine recognition of their struggles’

John Della Volpe, director of polling, Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics (source: Harvard Kennedy School)

British Gen Alphas are listening to CDs and vinyl

Photography by Sofia Alejandra

UK – Nearly half of Generation Alpha are turning to physical music formats, according to new research from Key Production. In the survey of 2,000 parents, 46% said their child or children listen to CDs or vinyl, signalling a cultural shift toward physical media among digital natives and echoing findings from our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out market report.

The study also revealed that only 20% of parents say they prefer their children to use smartphones for music, with the majority leaning toward physical listening experiences that are more intentional and less screen reliant.

At a time when the UK saw its first growth in physical music sales in over 20 years, with a 1.4% uptick in 2024 according to UK record labels association the BPI, this trend reflects deeper shifts in intergenerational attitudes toward tech and media.

In our Future Forecast 2025: Technology report we explore the Dumb Tech Detox, where people are seeking simplified experiences that minimise constant connectivity in.

Strategic opportunity

As analogue rituals regain cultural cachet, brands have an opportunity to reimagine retro formats for younger audiences, cultivating new forms of slow, mindful media engagement