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Journalists are trained skeptics. In our newsroom, few topics draw as much healthy skepticism as aerial mobility. “Nothing but glorified helicopters,” the response might go when the subject turns to electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Don’t even mention the rare, but very real, bona fide flying car, which can zoom through in the sky then drive on the road.

It’s easy to understand why people are reluctant to believe in such technologies. Depending on your generation, the notion of flying cars may evoke memories of a certain future-themed cartoon series from the 1960s (I promised myself I wouldn’t mention it in this issue) or a popular time-travel film that co-starred a flying DeLorean — one with vertical landing ability to boot. 

But the new developments we’re seeing in air mobility are not works of fiction. Something has to be motivating automakers and entrepreneurs to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in research projects and to form part…

As Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 descended toward Miami Inter-national Airport on the night of Dec. 29, 1972, the flight crew noticed a light that should have confirmed the nose gear's position failed to illuminate as expected.

Instead of proceeding with the approach, the three-person flight crew leveled the aircraft at 2,000 feet, activated the new autopilot system installed in the 5-month-old jet and immersed itself in troubleshooting the landing-gear problem. Six minutes passed before they realized something else was amiss.

"We did something to the altitude," said the first officer, according to cockpit voice recorder transcripts. "We're still at 2,000, right?" Captain Robert Loft then responded: "Hey, what's happening here?"

Five seconds later, the L-1011 TriStar jet crashed into the Everglades, killing 99 of the 176 people aboard. National Transportation Safety Board investigators cited the pilots' inattention and distraction …

Airbus is exploring the potential of using technology from lidar tech company Luminar to augment the sensing capabilities of aircraft.

The companies are starting with a helicopter demonstrator project unveiled in April.

The collaboration with Airbus UpNext, the future-looking subsidiary of the aviation giant, marks Luminar's first effort beyond the automotive industry.

While there are no plans for production yet, Airbus believes the sensors may provide pilots with a better understanding of nearby obstacles.

For Luminar, Airbus represented an established partner.

For Airbus, the lidar maker represented a chance to inject innovation at startup speed.

"It's an industry that has been working with legacy technology from a sensing standpoint," Luminar CEO Austin Russell said.

"They haven't seen any kind of breakthrough in decades. If you can leverage all the stuff we're doing for the auton…

General Motors co-developed the Lunar Roving Vehicle used in the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions.

A Toyota Tundra tows the space shuttle Endeavor to a California museum in 2012.

Elon Musk sent a Tesla Roadster, "piloted" by a mannequin dubbed Starman, into space in 2018.

Chrysler's alternative space shuttle idea: a "single-stage Earth-orbital reusable vehicle" that could carry a separate crew module.

Chrysler's Space Division built the first stage of the Saturn 1B rocket used in early Apollo missions. The automaker also built Redstone ballistic missiles.

GM's dexterous Robonaut 2 went to the International Space Station.

What if one German electric aircraft company told you that industrywide goals to "go greener" could translate from the road to the sky?

Lilium is developing a seven-seat personal electric vertical takeoff and landing jet, or eVTOL (EE'-vee-tole), in the hopes of spearheading the future of electric aircraft.

It's also developing its own high-tech vertiport landing strips in Florida — and that's just the start.

"Our vision is to create a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed travel and bring this to every community," Lilium CEO Daniel Wiegand said in a statement. "Transport infrastructure is broken. It is costly in personal time, space consumption and carbon emissions."

Lilium is pursuing the electric jet technology because it will bring more capability to aircraft "with lower cost per seat mile while delivering low noise and low emissions," Wiegand said.

Lilium, founded in 2015, announced in Marc…

Given that the heart of the auto industry lies in Michigan, it's no surprise that the state wants to be considered a springboard of another form of transportation: air mobility.

Michigan is working to be a launchpad for aerospace and aerial development, bolstered by its strong manufacturing core and robust automotive supply chain.

The state has invested in air mobility technologies over the past several years. Consulting firm PwC named Michigan the eighth-most friendly place for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness last year. Add to that, Michigan has been drawing more software engineering talent that once flew — no pun intended — to Silicon Valley.

But there's still progress to be made, said Trevor Pawl, who leads the state's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification.

"There are a lot of different assets that we have that we just need to begin to stitch together and communicate more frequently," Pawl told A…

Flying cars may never revolutionize transportation. But for those few people who have the financial wherewithal and piloting skills to own and operate them, flying cars may indeed be revolutionary machines.

Forget the technological novelty of melding aviation and automotive. The practical achievement of creating a vehicle that can travel both on roadways and via airways might eradicate the everyday hassles associated with modern travel. No more long lines at security screenings or rental-car counters.

No rides in the back seats of heavy-scented Ubers.

Skip the soulless airport entirely, in fact, should the mood strike.

"A plane that you can take on the road changes everything," said Robert Dingemanse, co-founder and CEO of Dutch flying-car company PAL-V. "General aviation is cumbersome, because once you land, you're stuck at an airport. This way, you take it from your garage, fly somewhere and after landing you don'…

German megasupplier Bosch, which has long been establishing its expertise in artificial intelligence, is contributing to a few NASA projects that show just how much life in space and the auto world can converge.

Bosch, alongside space robotics company Astrobotic Technology Inc., the University of Washington, wireless charging provider WiBotic and NASA'S Glenn Research Center, have partnered on a project to intelligently navigate and wirelessly charge shoebox-sized robots on the moon.

The project — awarded $5.8 million through NASA's Tipping Point program — aims to develop a precise, autonomous navigation system that will help Astrobotic's CubeRover robots locate wireless chargers during a lunar mission. And it's looking to do so for a demonstration by mid-2023.

"Navigating a robot on the moon is not the same as navigating a robotic vacuum through your home or navigating a self-driving car on the road," Samarjit Das, leader of the …

Volkswagen of America has informed its U.S. dealers that the global chip shortage “and other supply chain related issues” will force extended production hiatuses at its massive plant in Puebla, Mexico, along with an earlier hiatus announced for its assembly plant in Chattanooga, Automotive News has learned.

In letters to dealers this week, VW told dealers “Despite monumental efforts to avoid additional shut downs, Volkswagen will have to temporarily suspend production at our Puebla assembly plant for just over three weeks in June and early July, impacting the production of Jetta, Tiguan and Taos.”

VW is launching its compact Taos crossover next month and the Tiguan is receiving a refresh for the 2022 model year, with new vehicles expected to arrive in the fall. The Tiguan is VW’s top-selling vehicle in the U.S.

In the dealer letter, shared with Automotive News, the brand said it would “continue our planned market introduction of the Taos in early June …

YouTube and online forums are the go-to destinations for DIY vehicle troubleshooting these days. But things are different in the rarefied world of luxury sports car buyers, according to Porsche retailer Robert DiStanislao.

In the pursuit of selling six-figure cars, about a year ago the dealer launched a high-touch service for a clientele that has neither time nor patience to futz around on the Internet.

Porsche of the Main Line in Newtown Square, Pa., has a full-time employee dedicated to simply answering customer questions about their new vehicle — from reprogramming the dashboard clock to pairing a smartphone to the infotainment system.

"And we'll go to their home or office and do it for them," added DiStanislao, president of RDS Automotive Group, which sells several luxury brands, including Lamborghini, Maserati and McLaren.

Porsche requires dealerships to walk customers through their vehicle at delivery. But that o…

MISSOULA, Mont. — When the Nissan Pathfinder was last redesigned, in 2013, it was in the top third of the three-row crossover segment, with a respectable 6.5 percent share.

Things look different as the fifth-generation Pathfinder prepares to rumble into dealerships next month.

The Pathfinder's share has slumped by more than half to 2.9 percent, according to AutoForecast Solutions, as the midsize crossover has aged and new challengers have emerged. Volkswagen and Hyundai didn't have competitive entries before, but now the Atlas and Palisade, along with the Kia Telluride and Subaru Ascent, have crowded the field.

"The new Pathfinder has some fierce rivals to beat to find its way back onto American shopping lists," noted Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast vice president.

But Mike Colleran, Nissan North America senior vice president in charge of sales and marketing, says the automaker is ready for the challenge.

"We think we've got the right solution,…

Olivier Francois has a passion for building brands.

Now he gets to indulge in it even more as the marketing chief of Stellantis, which combined the nine brands of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles he knew well with five more from PSA Group.

Francois, known for ambitious Super Bowl ads and a knack for blending musical acts into campaigns at FCA, will have to juggle marketing strategies for an even more diverse set of brands. They come with varying degrees of acceptance depending on the market, so the challenge for Francois and his team will be to carve a space for each brand.

Among his top priorities is to continue elevating the rugged Ram brand, which has been meshing more luxury with proven work credentials in its haulers. The latest Ram campaign uses the Foo Fighters rock band to pitch an inspirational message that honors everyday rock stars such as parents, coaches and mentors who have stepped up during the pandemic.

Francois, 59, spoke with Staff Repo…