TRANSPORTATION: It’s hard to picture here in rural Pennsylvania, but electric vehicles are gaining popularity.

A recent survey by AAA indicated that 20 percent of Americans reported their next vehicle purchase would be an electric car.

“America’s appetite for electric vehicles is getting stronger every year,” said Tom Ashley, AAA East Central executive vice president. “Whether it’s concerns for the environment, attraction to lower long-term costs or advanced technology, more and more auto buyers are finding reasons to go electric.”

Concern has dropped since 2017 for whether there were enough places to charge electric vehicles, as well as concern for whether vehicles will run out of charge while running.

AAA’s Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center thoroughly tested high fuel efficiency, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles to help consumers pick a new vehicle. The center rates vehicles based on criteria like ride quality, safety and performance.

See the center’s findings at AAA.com/greencar.

Flying vehicles have long belonged in the territory of science fiction, but officials are working to put rules in place when the futuristic mode of transport becomes reality.

NASA announced Tuesday that it “has signed a second space act agreement with Uber Technologies Inc., to further explore concepts and technologies related to urban air mobility (UAM) to ensure a safe and efficient system for future air transportation in populated areas.”

Uber has developed plan to implement an urban aviation rideshare network, and NASA will use computer modeling and simulation to consider what will happen if small aircraft are introduced in crowded environments.

“As small aircraft enter the marketplace, NASA wants to ensure they do so safely, with acceptable levels of noise, and without burdening the current national air traffic control system,” the agency reported.

The organizations want to have information to develop industry standards.