money You can ride like a Jedi on this 'Star Wars'-inspired hoverbike that just went on sale for $550,000. See it in action.
A Tokyo-based company just began delivering its futuristic hoverbikes, called XTurismo.
The bikes are on sale for more than $500,000 and were inspired by the "Star Wars" films.
The company says it hopes to bring the price of its hoverbike down over the next few years. Here's the bike in action.
A Tokyo-based company, ALI Technologies, is helping make sci-fi movies a reality with its new hoverbike.
Source: AERWINS, New York Post
The luxury bike, called the XTurismo, was inspired by "Star Wars."
Source: StarWars.com, Detroit News
The company has been working on the technology behind the bike since 2017. It has a gas-electric hybrid engine and weighs 660 pounds.
Source: AERWINS
The XTURISMO can go up to 60 mph, according to the company — but it can only hover for about 40 minutes without needing to land.
Source: Reuters, AERWINS
See it in action:
It comes with a hefty price tag: The hoverbike will set you back $550,000.
Source: Detroit News, Reuters
The company has said it aims to mass-produce the hoverbikes for disaster response and search and rescue.
Source: Reuters
But for now, it can't be flown freely in the US or Japan, where laws prohibit use over roads.
Source: Detroit News, New York Post, EVTOL
The company delivered its first hoverbike in December 2022 to Japanese businessman Yoshiyuki Aikawa. "I was told that it cannot be used on public roads yet, so I would like to practice flying it on private property first, even over the ocean in Shonan," he said in a press release.
The company behind the XTurismo hoverbike was listed on the NASDAQ for public trading on February 6. Investors may not be wowed by the bike, as the company's stock has fallen in the days since its debut.
Source: Barron's
While mass adoption of affordable flying bikes may be a distant reality, XTurismo shows that the technology is possible, though it remains to be seen whether there is adequate demand.
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