The self-proclaimed "world's first amphibious passenger flying motorcycle" has entered the public realm at CES Las Vegas, and it's causing quite the stir.
New Atlas detailed the unveiling of Rictor's Skyrider X, a motorcycle that rides on the ground but also, much more impressively, takes off, flies, and lands autonomously. Considering Rictor's only other product on the market is a regular old e-bike, the brand is definitely setting its sights high literally with this ambitious electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) motorcycle.
EVTOLs might sound decades away to many people, but there are many competitors in the space looking to hit it big. These vehicle options run on batteries instead of dirty energy and avoid traffic congestion, while the vertical landing and takeoff capability requires minimal space. Vehicles like these can lower the skyrocketing pollution of air travel.
On the air taxi front, startups in the UK and U.S., like Vertical Aerospace, GAC, and Joby Aviation, have celebrated major breakthroughs, while Archer Aviation has led the way with global partnerships with Japan and others. Austrian company Cyclotech is working on a consumer-focused offering that is designed as a flying car solution, which is another crowded space with competitors like American startup Doroni Aerospace.
The Skyrider X theoretically takes it to the next level with an electric moped that can seamlessly take to the air. As New Atlas laid out, a rider can simply unfold the four arms, turn on the propellers, input their destination, and let the machine take them away. The vehicle automates everything from takeoff and landing to adjusting for air conditions like weather to create optimal flight paths, per Rictor's news release. There is manual control with a joystick for pilots who would prefer to go old-school.
The maximum speed in the air is 62 miles per hour with a maximum duration of up to 40 minutes using a 21-kilowatt-hour battery. The base model has a battery half the size and offers 25 minutes of flight, though New Atlas was skeptical of that figure. In terms of safety, the flying motorcycle comes with "triple-redundant flight control systems" to provide security for engine failure, as well as an emergency parachute and battery safety protection.
This isn't the first foray into flying motorcycles. New Atlas previously covered a jet turbine-powered speeder from Mayman Aerospace, but indicated that it will likely be used for military purposes. They also covered attempts by Lazareth that delivered some impressive results but no consumer offering yet. For that reason, the publication admitted it "won't be holding our breath" for the emergence of the Skyrider X.
With that in mind, Engadget reported that Rictor says it aims to sell the eVTOL for a surprisingly modest $60,000 with a goal launch date of 2026. Just remember that, as New Atlas points out, "working prototypes, flight tests and certifications are notably missing."
In the meantime, it's worth crossing our fingers until we might be able to take a truly mind-bending test flight on one of these.
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