Japan startup targets supercar users with $700,000 hoverbike

Kyocera

26/10/2021 13:05

TOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A Japanese startup backed by
soccer player Keisuke Honda hopes to persuade wealthy consumers
to swap their supercar for a 77.7 million yen ($680,000)
hoverbike which went on sale on Tuesday. 
    The "XTurismo Limited Edition" from Tokyo-based drone
startup A.L.I. Technologies is equipped with a conventional
engine and four battery-powered motors and promises to fly for
40 minutes at up to 100 kph (62 mph). 
    "Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at
scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement,"
Chief Executive Daisuke Katano told Reuters.
    The black and red hoverbike consists of a motorcycle-like
body on top of propellers. The machine rests on landing skids
when stationary. 
    The startup, whose backers include industrial heavyweights
Mitsubishi Electric  6503.T  and Kyocera  6971.T , demonstrated
the bike with a short flight a few metres off the ground at a
race track near Mount Fuji.
    Katano said that in the near term its uses will be limited
to such sites - and will not be allowed to fly over Japan's
packed roads. But the bike could be used by rescue teams to
reach difficult to access locations, he said. 
    Strict regulations in Japan driven by safety concerns have
hobbled the growth of sectors like ride-sharing. Pending rule
changes could extend the bike's potential applications, Katano
said. 
    Funding is flowing to startups from California-based Joby
Aviation to Israel's AIR who promise to usher in an era of
personal air transportation from jetpacks to flying taxis. 
    Commercial success for A.L.I. Technologies, whose suppliers
include engine maker Kawasaki Heavy  7012.T , would help
reinforce Japan's industrial edge amid a generational shift
towards new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles.

 (Reporting by Sam Nussey and Akira Tomoshige; Editing by Alison
Williams)
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