‘Future of urban mobility’: World’s first flying bike unveiled at Detroit Auto Show

Team Udayavani, Sep 19, 2022, 2:37 PM IST

Image credit: Instagram / xturismo_official

AERWINS Technologies, a Japanese startup, debuted a flying hoverbike at the Detroit Auto Show. The hoverbike, XTURISMO, billed as the world’s first flying bike, can glide through the air and appears as if it belongs in a Star Wars movie.

According to Euro News report, co-chair of the Detroit Auto Show, Thad Szott, took the bike for a test flight at the motor show. He said that the experience of riding the hoverbike was “comfortable” and “exhilarating.”

“I literally had goosebumps and feel like a little kid,” Szott was quoted as saying.

The flying bike is powered by a 228-hp gas-powered Kawasaki motorcycle performance engine that provides thrust to two large central rotors. Further, four smaller electric support rotors are fixed on the vehicle’s outer edges for riding stability when airborne.

According to the report, the hoverbike is roughly 12 feet in length and comes with an automatic control unit for added safety. Despite its relatively larger size, it only weighs about 299 kg as it is made with a lightweight carbon fiber body to keep the weight low.

However, it’s not so economical. The XTURISMO hoverbike costs a whopping $777,000 dollars (over Rs 6 crore), the report said.

Though the hoverbike is already on the market in Japan, its use has been limited due to the country’s strict regulations regarding such machines. For the time being, the XTURISMO is only permitted to fly or hover over racetracks.

However, the founder and CEO of AERWINS, Shuhei Komatsu, said that the company is planning to sell a smaller version in the US in 2023.

This is the world’s first flying bike. The XTURISMO hoverbike is capable of flying for 40 minutes and can reach speeds of up to 62 mph pic.twitter.com/ZPZSHJsmZm

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 16, 2022