A Japanese start-up designed a motorcycle capable of flying at 100km/h and a maximum of 40 minutes.
1. Xturismo
Revealed this week at the Detroit Auto Show, in the US, the flying vehicle made an impact opening up the possibility for people to soon ride drone-like vehicles instead of cars. Dubbed, Xturismo, the hoverbike is capable of flying for 40 minutes and reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h. The flying vehicle is powered with an internal combustion together with a battery and it weighs around 300 kg.
Thad Szott, the co-chair of the Motor City’s auto show, was one of the first to take a test drive. “I mean, it’s awesome! Of course, you have a little apprehension, but I was just so amped. I literally had goosebumps and feel like a little kid,” he said, noting that the Xturismo holds great potential in the future.
Because Japan is one of the only countries that doesn’t classify the Xturismo as an aircraft, so you don’t need a flying licence for it there. Yet, there are regulations — while anyone in Japan can technically own a Xturismo, they are only allowed to fly it over racetracks.
I think we’ll start with delivering goods and services, maybe by drone. It’s ready for today’s world if you go airport to airport. But I’m anxious to see when we can go neighbourhood to neighbourhood. So, let’s get it worked out.
Thad Szott, the co-chair of the Motor City’s auto show
The world’s flying bike called XTURISMO, which has been selling in Japan, made its debut in the US.
— FAVOUR ITUA (@SportPaparazzi1) September 20, 2022
While testing it out, Thad Szott testified to the comfort that comes with flying the bike, estimated to sell for $777,000 (N338,383,500.00). pic.twitter.com/drP8tiautM
2. Aerwins Technologies
The Japanese start-up behind the flying motorcycle, Aerwins Technologies, first started out making drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. The hoverbike is already on sale in Japan and a smaller version will be available in the US in 2023 for €775,400 ($777,000). However, Shuhei Komatsu, the company’s CEO, told Reuters that the company hopes to get the cost down to €49,890 ($50,000) for a smaller electric model by 2025.
