Trump signed the executive order last year to fast-track flying cars across America.
Florida just became the first state ready to actually fly them.
And what DeSantis built in Polk County to make that happen is something no other governor even thought to try.
Florida Gets the Nation's First Dedicated Flying Car Test Track
Governor Ron DeSantis stood at the SunTrax facility in Auburndale Monday and made it official: Florida will begin actively testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft – eVTOLs – by the end of this year.
This isn't a press release. The infrastructure is already there.
The 775-acre SunTrax campus already holds two vertiports – platforms engineered for aircraft that lift straight off the ground, no runway required.
DeSantis built the test track.
He signed the legislation last year that made Florida the first state to officially recognize advanced air mobility as a legal mode of transportation.
"We are turning this somewhat dream into a reality," he said Monday.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2086873248029909448?s=20
The FAA then selected Florida specifically to lead national safety and operational policy development for this technology – through Trump's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
That's not a participation trophy.
That's Washington telling Florida: you're the state we trust to figure this out first.
FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue put it plainly at the event: "When is the last time we, as civilization, got to usher in a new way to move people?"
The answer is: not since the automobile.
What This Actually Means for Florida Families
The applications go far beyond the novelty.
Air taxis could slash the Tampa-to-Orlando commute – a corridor that costs Florida workers millions of collective hours every year stuck in I-4 traffic.
Emergency responders could reach crash scenes before ground units clear the gridlock.
Medical transport during hurricanes and floods wouldn't be stuck behind washed-out roads.
Cargo delivery could bypass the ground network entirely.
SunTrax is also home to the only high-speed autonomous vehicle test track in the Southeastern United States.
Tesla's Cybercab is being tested there right now.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2086950748038795701?s=20
Waymo is already offering fully autonomous rides in Miami and Orlando – DeSantis put their national mileage at over 220 million miles.
Tampa is next.
"They've got to pass these safety tests," DeSantis said.
That's the difference between Florida and states that hand out autonomous vehicle permits and cross their fingers.
Florida built the place where you prove you're safe before you go anywhere near the public.
Florida Is Leading Because DeSantis Built the Foundation to Lead
Florida's economy hit $1.7 trillion.
Number one in the nation for economic growth.
Number one for new business formation.
The fastest-growing state for manufacturing and technology – adding more than 50,000 manufacturing jobs since 2019.
None of that happened by accident.
DeSantis cut red tape, slashed business taxes, and built the infrastructure that makes it worth locating here.
Trump's June 2025 executive order created the federal program that gave Florida its formal role in what became a nationwide initiative.
The FAA greenlit eight projects across 26 states.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2086872765357781141?s=20
Florida's assignment covers three full trial phases – air cargo, passenger service, and emergency medical response – making it one of the most comprehensive in the country.
Florida is leading.
And Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Polk State College are already partnering with FDOT to build a workforce of pilots, engineers, and aviation technicians from the ground up – so the jobs stay in Florida when the technology goes national.
Your taxes built this.
Your kids are training for it.
When that first air taxi lifts off in Central Florida before the year is out, every other governor in America will be asking the same question: why didn't we do this first?
The answer is they didn't have DeSantis.
Sources:
- Governor Ron DeSantis, "Governor Ron DeSantis Highlights Florida's One-of-a-Kind Facility to Advance the Future of Transportation," Executive Office of the Governor, August 10, 2026.
- "Gov. DeSantis touts electric air taxis set for testing in Florida by end of 2026: 'Dream into reality'," FOX 35 Orlando, August 10, 2026.
- "'Air taxi' testing to begin in central Florida by end of 2026, DeSantis says," WFLA, August 10, 2026.
- "THE FUTURE OF AVIATION IS HERE: Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Unveil Eight Selections for Pilot Program Testing Next-Gen Aircraft in America's Skies," Federal Aviation Administration, March 9, 2026.
- "FloridaCommerce Commends the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget," FloridaCommerce, May 2026.
