Most Read This Week: Flying Car Test Center Opens in China, First Flying Taxi Delivered to Air Force

Here are the most read stories in IoT World Today this week:

Flying Car Test Center Opens in China; Completed in 4 Months

A testing center to develop eVTOL (electric takeoff and landing) vehicles has opened in Foshan, China. 

The center was created by Xpeng Aeroht, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Xpeng, and is designed to focus on research and validation of new flying technologies.

The testing center features a flight base to validate flights, durability tests and certification flights, a flight test center for prototype flight testing, a powertrain experiment center to test electric motors, batteries and high-voltage electrical components and a ground comprehensive testing center to cover all aspects of research and development for flying car flight processes.

Watch Xpeng Aeroht’s eVTOL vehicles in action here >>>

First Flying Taxi Delivered to Air Force

The first eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle was delivered to the Air Force at the Edwards Air Force Base in California this week.

The delivery from Joby Aviation is believed to be the first eVTOL taxi delivered in the U.S. and is part of a $131 million contract between the Department of Defense (DoD) and Joby.

The partnership started seven years ago, with Joby receiving initial funding along with access to test ranges and aircraft development expertise.

Related:Most Read This Week: Humanoid Robot Factory Planned, Personal Flying Vehicles Coming to Market

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said the partnership with the DoD will have “profound implications” for American leadership in both commercial and defense aerospace technology.

Read more about Joby’s flying vehicles here >>>

MGM Cyberattack Puts Spotlight on Human Risk

Ashley Rose, CEO of Living Security, talks about what businesses can learn from the recent cyberattack that took down several MGM operating systems.

The breach was found to be due to a vishing (voice phishing) attack, where the hackers impersonated an employee to gain access to systems and ultimately compromise multiple aspects of the casino. 

While now addressed, the breach put a spotlight on the vulnerability of human risk in business operations, and how companies can better protect themselves against these kinds of attacks and lower their human risk.

“Regardless of how many tools, how many different technologies we have in place in our environment, from a security perspective the human is still the number one cause of security incidents and breaches,” said Rose.

Find out how businesses can protect against human risk >>>

Hyundai Flying Vehicle Company Opens Research Facility

A Hyundai flying car development company is opening a research and development facility in Fremont, California, to develop battery technology for eVTOL vehicles.

The new Supernal California facility is one of a number of eVTOL research and development complexes opening around the world and is the third facility opened this year by Supernal, which is part of the Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Mobility Company.

The news follows Supernal’s opening of an engineering headquarters in Irving, California, and a policy and commercial hub in Washington, D.C. 

Supernal said it is taking an open ecosystem approach to developing lightweight, powerful batteries for electric aerial vehicles.

Read more about Hyundai’s facility >>>

Flying Car Company Partners to Create 700 Landing Facilities

Flying car company Ace VTOL, and Volatus Infrastructure and Energy Solutions, which develops takeoff and landing facilities for flying cars, have entered into a joint venture to create an advanced air mobility ecosystem in the Oceania region.

The venture intends to develop a system of 700 vertiports, where eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles can operate from and be serviced, including battery charging.

The companies previously signed a memorandum of understanding to work together, which is now formalized.

The partnership plans to establish an advanced air mobility infrastructure ecosystem, develop a wheelchair-accessible solar-powered lift and integrate Ace’s unmanned traffic management system.

Read more about the partnership here >>>