Australia-based Flying Car Company Unveils Airspeeder Mk4, A Crewed Racecar For The Skies

In 2023, flying cars seem closer than ever, but most of the concepts being tested are VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) air taxis. But now, an Australian company called Alauda Aeronautics has unveiled its first piloted flying car concept, which it claims is the “world’s fastest hydrogen electric VTOL aircraft”. 

Not a flying taxi

Around the world, carmakers and independent aeronautical companies are developing air taxis for local travel. Most of these are autonomous vehicle concepts, but the Airspeeder was conceived as a piloted vehicle from the start. Its third-generation concept, the Airspeeder Mk3, has already completed over 350 test flights while being remotely piloted. 

The Airspeeder 4 has been built primarily for racing, requiring precise direction changes and the capability to fly at speed over low altitudes. The Airspeeder Mk4 uses a gimbal-enabled rotor tilt mechanism driven by AI to handle like an F1 car in the sky!

Alauda Aeronautics plans to start the first crewed flights with the Airspeeder Mk4 this year, with the first races beginning in 2024. Team entries are currently open for the upcoming 2024 racing series.

Powered by hydrogen 

The Airspeeder’s quad rotors have e-motors driven by a battery, similar to some drones and flying taxi concepts. But the e-motors and battery are powered by a novel, rocket engine-inspired hydrogen combustion engine that runs on green hydrogen. 

The hydrogen power unit, fittingly called the ‘Turbogenerator’, makes a whopping 1,340PS, adequate to propel the Airspeeder from nought to 360kmph in 30 seconds! That’s about as quick as a Bugatti Chiron at full whack! 

This 3D-printed ‘Turbogenerator’ helps reduce the aircraft’s weight, making it about as heavy as your average premium hatchback such as a Maruti Baleno. The Airspeeder Mk 4 has an estimated flying range of 300km on a full tank of hydrogen. 

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Flying cars are finally becoming a reality; and in a future where a Hyundai eVTOL is the equivalent of an Uber, the Airspeeder Mk4 will be the racecar of the sky. How cool would it be to see flying cars racing in the skies!