Hoverbike Makes Its US Debut at Detroit Auto Show - ExtremeTech:
XTURISMO is the latest development out of AERWINS, a Japanese air mobility startup. While the hoverbike's center indeed looks like a street bike, it's surrounded by large fans, lending the vehicle the overall appearance of a massive, rideable drone. The 300-kilogram (661-pound) hoverbike is powered by both an internal combustion engine and a battery, which together lend XTURISMO its 40-kilometer (24.8-mile) cruising range. XTURISMO can zip around at speeds up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour while carrying payloads (AKA drivers) up to 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds.
[...] Though XTURISMO's range and speed are undoubtedly lower than some aspirational hoverbike drivers would hope for, the technology has to start somewhere, and mild freeway speeds aren't a terrible place to start. Of course, none of that matters if you're turned off by XTURISMO's $777,000 price tag...and its lack of availability in the US. Because Japan doesn't consider XTURISMO to be a type of aircraft, special licenses aren't required to drive it there, and Japanese residents can begin buying and driving the hoverbike as soon as they wish.
(Score: 3, Funny) by RamiK on Thursday September 22 2022, @01:00PM
How did we get to the point where the Japanese are building crappy Star-Wars inspired hoverbikes that takes a Jedi master's level reflexes not to get your face planted in a tree while there's a guy in Vancouver that's been lane-splitting in his Akira inspired recumbent ebike? https://www.electrom.ca/electrom-blog/ [electrom.ca]
compiling...