The future of racing is airborne, so believes Alauda Aeronautics. The Australian startup announced the world’s first electric flying car, dubbed Airspeeder Mk3, back in February this year. With the announcement of the new series comes the first video that shows the Mk3 in motion.
The Airspeeder Mk3 will not compete with developing air taxis (for commercial use), Alauda has said from the start. Instead, the eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) will serve as a test bed for future technologies. The Mk3 will fly the first race unmanned in 2021, with the 2022 edition of the event putting pilots on board.
Speaking of the event, it is officially called the Airspeeder EXA Series championship. The first race will feature four teams, with two pilots each. You can see the trailer for it at the bottom of the page; it’s played up for drama and, as such, has a certain cinematic feel to it, but the idea is the same one as before: this is the future of racing, and it is both electric and airborne.
The Airspeeder Mk3 took its first (unmanned) flight at an undisclosed location in South Australia. The video also shows how the race will look like: each Mk3 will be remotely operated by pilots on the ground, around an electronically governed, AR-enabled sky track, for what will be the world’s first eVTOL race. Once all approvals and certifications are granted, the Mk3 will accommodate one pilot in the cockpit, much like a Formula One car.
The Mk3 is an octocopter with four arms extending from the carbon fiber fuselage, each with pair of rotors, for a total output of 320 kW. Weighing just 130 kg (286 pounds), the Mk3 will be able to travel at speeds of up to 200 kph (124 mph) and altitudes as high as 500 meters (1,640 feet). Range will still be an issue, with the copter able to fly for only 15 minutes in full “combat” mode, but pilots will be able to swap batteries at pit stops along the track. Each Mk3 can carry a payload of 80 kg (176 pounds), which makes it perfect for manned races.
The goal for the new e-racing series goes beyond delivering entertainment or tapping into an unexplored segment of the market. As Alauda puts it, “our mission will accelerate eVTOL advanced aviation technology through intense sporting competition,” which will start the “mobility revolution, […] transform urban air mobility (UAM), global logistics and even medical applications with a clean-air electric vehicle (EV) solution.”
But fun will also be had, and the video below aims to remind you of it.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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