Vehicle enthusiasts on Twitter are unable to believe the visuals and possibility of a flying bike. The reactions poured in, with some getting reminded of the speeder bikes of “Star Wars”. People have been fascinated by the prospect of flying vehicles, staples of time travel content.
The hoverbike manufactured by Japanese startup AERQINS Technologies made its debut in the United States at the Detroit Auto Show on Thursday, Reuters reported. The spectators were left speechless over the video showing the bike hovering and landing after its flight.
The clip shared by news agency Reuters on Twitter shows a person taking off the bike and maneuvering it mid-air. The hoverbike is carefully landed on the ground and the clip shows the world’s first flying bike’s features.
Thad Szott, co-chair of the auto show is heard saying in the video, “I feel like I’m literally 15 years old and I just got out of ‘Star Wars’ and jumped on their bike.” “I mean, it’s awesome! Of course, you have a little apprehension, but I was just so amped. I literally had goosebumps and feel like a little kid.”
According to a Reuters report, the XTURISMO hoverbike can fly for 40 minutes with maximum speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.
The hoverbike is already on sale in Japan, and Shuhei Komatsu, founder, and CEO of AERWINS said plans were underway to sell a smaller version in the United States in 2023. The price? A hefty $777,000 – although Komatsu said the company hopes to get the cost down to $50,000 for a smaller, electric model by 2025.