Electric VTOL Flying Car Headed for Racing Series

It has more in common with a Star Wars landspeeder than a DeLorean, but the Airspeeder Mk3 is one of the most elegant “flying cars” I’ve ever seen.

Part of that beauty aligns with the craft’s intended purpose. On Alauda’s site, they quote that famous Back to the Future line (that was later appropriated by Ronald Reagan) – “Where we're going we don't need roads,” a callback to BTTF’s flying cars that looked like, well, cars.

But most street-legal “flying cars” – like the Terrafugia – look more like tiny aircraft that missed the runway.

Alauda’s Airspeeder Mk3 is a remotely-operated electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL), with its 96-kW electric powertrain able to reach speeds of 120 km/h (75 mph) at 20 minutes per charge up to 60 m (196 ft) off the ground.

The company claims their airspeeder can make similar hairpin-style turns as an F1 racer, and LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems create a ‘virtual forcefield’ around the craft, so they can race in close proximity to each other.

The Airspeeder Mk3 is aimed at an upcoming flying (remotely-piloted) car racing series, in preparation for a manned version in 2022.

"The unveiling of the world's first full-sized electric flying racing car is a landmark moment in the dawn of a new mobility revolution," said Matthew Pearson, Founder of Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics. "The world's first electric flying car races will take place this year and will be the most exciting and progressive motorsport on the planet."