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Airspeeder Update: World’s first electric flying car drag race
Written by Thembani Magazi – November 11, 2021
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
The world’s first drag race between two flying cars was recently concluded in Australia which is promising news for fans of the sport. Two unmanned Airspeeder MK3 were used in the drag race which was more of a test run as part of preparations for a full series of F1-style air races to be held later this year.
Alauda Aeronautics, the Australian company behind the Airspeeder eVTOLs, showcased a demonstration video of the drag race of two MK3 multicopters in a bid to build hype around the upcoming racing series. The high-speed duel carried on for a distance of about 300 meters at an altitude of 15 meters with the winning eVTOL craft reaching a top speed of 155 kph.
Matt Pearson, the head of Alauda, noted that the pilot test of the MK3s demonstrated the possibilities of a future new class of road transport. The first official races of the eVTOL Airspeeder league will take place in the next two years. The first stage will be unmanned competitions with the drivers in ground cabins, driving the craft using virtual reality technologies. The next stages will involve a series of Airspeeder EXA Series flights, in which four teams from different countries will take part. Three stages of the international competition are planned to be held in unmanned mode with remote control of the eVTOLs.
In 2023 there are plans for 10 companies to take part. These races will involve eVTOLs with a multidisciplinary crew turning an interesting concept into a full-fledged competitive sport in its own right.
Auto Trendy’s take:
Alauda’s Airspeeder racing series will not only create a new sport but will also contribute to the further development of electric transport. In a world where cities are becoming more congested, perhaps looking to the skies and thus to eVTOLs is the ideal solution. The company has been working on the development of eVTOL electric vehicles for three years and hopefully we’ll see exciting innovations from this sector in the years to come. We have set our calendars for the eVTOL Airspeeder Racing League based at the Alauda Aeronautics headquarters in Adelaide, Australia. The early drag race footage looks exciting enough!
