AERWIN XTURISMO “Flying Bike” Debuts In US

[advrider]

In the past few months, we’ve told you about a couple of “hover bikes” that have been deemed flying motorcycles. However, each of the machines, the Hoverbike S3 and the Lazareth LM847 were prototypes and had not yet made it to market to the general public. But now, Japanese company AERWINS says it has developed a similar machine that is called the XTURISMO.

XTURISMO specifications

The “bike” is made of carbon fiber and aluminum. It is 3.7 meters long (about 12 feet) and 2.4 meters wide (about 8 feet) and 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. According to its website, the XTURISMO weighs in at 300 kg (about 660 pounds). AERWINS’s claims the machine uses an “internal combustion + battery” setup with “autonomous control via electric control system.” It is not the clearest statement about the machine’s power, but it seems to suggest that power comes from a hybrid-like system. One outlet reports that the internal combustion engine powering the hybrid system is a Kawasaki unit.

According to their website, the XTURISMO has a “cruising range” of 40 km and can fly at a maximum speed of between 80 and 100 kph (about 50 and 62 mph, respectively). However, the maximum recommended payload is said to be about 100 kg (200 pounds), so riders will have to be one the “light side” if the machine is to carry anything other than the “rider.”

The XTURISMO is available in three colors, blue, red, and blac Photo: AERWINS

Already available

If you believe that the AERWINS XTURISMO is just a prototype that will never make it to market, AERWINS begs to differ. The XTURISMO recently made a flying appearance in conjunction with the Detroit Auto show.

Easy to fly/ride?

Manning the hoverbike for the above flight was Thad Szott, the Detroit Auto Show co-chair. Whether he had any previous experience on the bike is not clear. But he did make a short flight and was enthusiastic about the outcome.

Making things more interesting is AERWINS’ claim that the XTURISMO is already available for purchase in Japan. However, they do not say how many or whether any at all have been delivered to paying customers.

 

A top view of the XTURISMO. Photo: AERWINS

They are also taking orders in the US. But if you want one of these flying machines, you better have a thick wallet. The MSRP for the XTURISMO is presently a heady and wallet-emptying $777,000.

Going public

Their current business plan calls for the company to deliver 200 Limited Edition XTURIMO machines in 2022. After that, they hope to enter mass production as costs go down. In addition, AERWINS says that it is also working on a smaller version of the XTURISMO. They hope to deliver those machines at a lower price. They are targeting an MSRP of $50,000 and hope to have it available for sale by 2025.

AERWINS says the XTURISMO is a luxury flying machine. Photo: AERWINS

If you are wondering whether AERWINS is a legitimate company and has any other experience in flying machines, the answer is yes. The company calls itself an air mobility platform company. They say they are looking to “Change the structure of society from the top down.” with the following vision statement:

“Through constantly pursuing and implementing new technologies, we, as a global company that is leading the air mobility revolution by providing infrastructure that enables anyone to use the airspace safely, securely, and conveniently, will make great contributions to society.”

And they apparently mean business. They recently announced that they are going public on the NASDAQ exchange and announced that it had reached a definitive agreement in association with Pono Capital Corp. Once complete, AERWINS expects that the newly formed company will have a combined pro forma equity value of approximately $750 million.

Regulations

But you have to wonder who will be willing to invest in a company that is based on an industry that is yet to have received the governmental approvals that will likely be necessary. Noise, air traffic collision avoidance, authorized airspace, pilot licensing, and registration are all hurdles that will need to be resolved before these types of vehicles become an everyday occurrence.

What do you think about these aerial “motorcycles.” Will they ever become commonplace? Let us know in the comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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