A flying motorbike that can travel at 62 miles per hour for up to 40 minutes made its U.S. debut this week at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.
The hoverbike is the work of Aerwins, a Delaware-based company that makes drones and unmanned vehicles.
Although it conjures up futuristic Jetsons visions of s oaring high above New York City’s notoriously clogged streets, you probably won’t be riding the hoverbike out to John F. Kennedy Airport anytime soon.
The Xturismo currently costs $777,000, although Aerwins says it will develop a smaller model next year, as well as an all-electric model in 2025 to sell for about $50,000.
‘I feel like I’m literally 15-years-old and I just got out of Star Wars and I jumped on their bike,’ Thad Scott, co-chair of the auto show, told Reuters. ‘I’m so excited’
A hoverbike that can travel at 62 miles per hour for up to 40 minutes made its U.S. debut this week at the North American Auto Show in Detroit (above)
Although it conjures up futuristic Jetsons visions of soaring high above New York City’s notoriously clogged streets, you probably won’t be riding the hoverbike out to John F. Kennedy Airport anytime soon
Thad Scott, the co-chair of the auto show, took the hoverbike for a spin recently.
‘I feel like I’m literally 15-years-old and I just got out of Star Wars and I jumped on their bike,’ he told Reuters. ‘I’m so excited.’
‘It’s awesome. It was exhilarating. It’s not vicious, it’s comfortable taking off and landing. There’s no jerky-jerk, it’s literally very, very smooth and I can’t wait for the future.’
Not suprisingly, Aerwins CEO Shuhei Komatsu loved Star Wars movies as a kid.
The flying bike is the work of Aerwins, a Delaware-based company that makes drones and unmanned vehicles
The Xturismo currently costs $777,000, although Aerwins says it will develop a smaller model next year, as well as an all-electric version in 2025
The hoverbike has been on sale in Japan – which does not classify it as an aircraft and therefore doesn’t require a license to pilot it – since last fall
‘I wanted to make something from the movie real,’ Komatsu told the Detroit News . ‘It’s a land speeder for the Dark Side’
‘I wanted to make something from the movie real,’ Komatsu told the Detroit News. ‘It’s a land speeder for the Dark Side.’
The hoverbike has been on sale in Japan – which does not classify it as an aircraft and therefore doesn’t require a license to pilot it – since last fall.
However, due to strict regulations for such machines in Japan, the XTurismo is still only allowed to fly, or hover, on race tracks.
In January, the company said it was only planning to produce 200 units.
Currently, the hoverbike two large central rotors that move thanks to a 228-hp gas-powered Kawasaki motorcycle engine. Four smaller electric support rotors are located on its outer edges as well.
When resting on the ground, the hoverbike rests on two landing skids — similar to those that might be seen on a conventional helicopter.
The Xturismo, which has been in development for the last two years, weighs 660 pounds and is about 12 feet long.
The hoverbike’s debut comes at a time when major companies are placing bets that the public will eventually embrace robotic air taxis.
Earlier this month, United Airlines announced it was putting $15 million into an order for 200 electric air taxis from Eve Air Mobility – with an option to snap up 200 more.
The airline believes that in the coming years, many residents of traffic-clogged cities will fork over $100 to $150 for a one-way ride to the airport inside a four-seat air taxi that’s powered by electricity.
United Airlines expects to receive the first taxis from Eve as soon as 2026. However, the electric aircraft have yet to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly passengers.
Meanwhile, Komatsu said he believes consumers will buy his company’s hoverbikes for recreation and that governments could purchase them for law enforcement or inspecting infrastructure.
‘I hope that in the future, people will use it for every day,’ he told the Detroit News.
Earlier this month, United Airlines announced it was putting $15 million into an order for 200 electric air taxis from Eve Air Mobility (above) – with an option to snap up 200 more