The XTurismo is commonly described as the future of urban mobility, a possible platform for the ideal vehicle with various features.
Japanese startup AERWINS Technologies flying bike Xturismo made its debut in the United States on Thursday at the Detroit Auto Show. The hoverbike, described as the world's first flying bike, drew direct analogies to the popular Star Wars bikes.
The XTurismo is commonly described as the future of urban mobility, a possible platform for the ideal vehicle with various features. It was officially exhibited as a viable product in October 2021 and then unveiled to the general public in a flying demo in Japan.
News Agency Reuters shared a clip on Twitter and netizens were left speechless over the video showing the bike hovering and landing after its flight.
Watch the video here:
The XTURISMO hoverbike can fly for 40 minutes with a speed limit of up to 100 kph (62 miles per hour).
In Japan, the flying bike is already on sale. According to the founder and CEO of AERWINS, Shuhei Komatsu, the company is planning to sell a smaller version in the US in 2023.
This hoverbike costs a whopping $777,000 (over 6 crore INR). However, AERWINS creator stated that the business is attempting to reduce the cost of a smaller, electric variant to $50,000, but that will take 2-3 years and will be available by 2025.
Thad Szott, co-chair of the Detroit Auto Show, who rode the hoverbike for a test flight, described the experience as "pleasant" and "exhilarating," and said it seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie.
The XTurismo is a gasoline-electric hoverbike powered by a Kawasaki hybrid engine, with two primary propellers, and four secondary ones that act as stabilizers. It is very loud, but the company hopes to come up with a noise-reduction solution by the time it goes into full production. Made with plenty of carbon fiber parts, the XTurismo is 3.7 meters (146 inches) long, 2.4 meters (94.5 inches) wide, and 1.5 meters (59 inches) tall, and can stay airborne for 30 to 40 minutes at speeds of maximum 60 mph (97 kph). The hoverbike itself weighs 300 kg (661 pounds) and has a max payload of 100 kg (220.5 pounds).
The current plan is to deliver the 200 Limited-Edition XTurismo in 2022 and then start working on mass production as costs go down. Hopefully, current legislation and regulations on VTOLs will catch up by the time this flying bike gets to that milestone.
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 "Image Credit: Twitter")
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