World's first flying bike 'Xturismo' will cost you $777,000 (P44 million)
Want to learn how to ride a bike to beat the traffic? Well, how about one that actually flies?
The future of transportation has made it its way to the United States with XTURISMO, said to be the world's first flying bike.
‘XTURISMO’ hoverbike, which looks like something out of Star Wars, is now up for grabs in the U.S. after its debut at the Detroit Auto Show which took place in Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan last September 15, 2022.
Created and manufactured by a Japanese start-up called AERWINS Technologies Inc., the XTURISMO hoverbike already started accepting orders in Japan way back in 2021.
In a video released by Reuters, Thad Szott, Detroit Auto Show’s co-chair, shared his experience about flying the XTURISMO hoverbike.
Szott described the ride as something “exhilarating”, “comfortable” and “not vicious”. He also added that it made him feel like a 15-year old who “just got out of Star Wars and jumped on their bike.”
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
The hoverbike weighs more than 300 kg and is able to carry about 100 kg of weight when flying. It can also fly up to 40 minutes in a single charge and comes with a maximum speed of 99.8 km/h or 62 mph.
Available in colors blue, red, and black, the XTURISMO limited edition is sold at the price of $777,000 (or a whopping P44,546,187.00).
AERWINS Technologies Inc. is an air mobility platform company that specializes in drones and unmanned aerial materials. Over the last two years, the company worked on designing and developing the said hoverbike. It is described as a “gasoline-electric hybrid with a Kawasaki motor."
In an interview with The Detroit News, founder of AERWINS, Shuhei Komatsu, shared his excitement to be in Detroit, saying: “Detroit is the home of the mobile industry.”
According to Komatsu, the XTURISMO hoverbike does not classify as a vehicle in Japan; thus people are permitted to fly the hoverbike without needing a license to pilot it. He also added that he hopes the U.S. government will also classify XTURISMO as a non-aircraft.
The CEO also shared the company’s plans of selling a smaller version of the hoverbike in the US in 2023. He stated that they hope to cut the cost down to $50,000 for a smaller model which is set to be released in 2025.
Got P44 million to spare? You can order your own Xturismo Limited Edition Air here.