Karmactive Staff
Czech startup UDX's electric hoverbike travels 142mph with a 25-minute flight time - could your daily commute soon take just 5 minutes?
Photo source: UDX Aero
CEO Jiri Madeja's Airwolf eVTOL carries two passengers while weighing 75% less than standard electric cars, using 150kg of batteries compared to Tesla's 500kg.
Four independently moving Electric Ducted Fans from VasyFan enable vertical takeoff and landing, with autonomous safety features like collision detection and emergency parachutes.
A 41-mile range lets pilots soar 100 meters above traffic, targeting suburban-to-city center trips that currently take up to 40 minutes during peak hours.
At $320,000-375,000, this carbon fiber hoverbike requires special pilot certification and 50 hours of training before launch in 2028.
Charging takes 30 minutes with fast chargers or 6 hours on home outlets, while automated systems handle emergency landings and mid-air stops.
How will cities manage hundreds of eVTOLs buzzing overhead when each vertiport generates noise and dust during takeoffs and landings?
"The whole development is one unforeseen challenge," Madeja told Karmactive, citing issues with overstated component performance and expensive European manufacturing.
Battery technology advances must match Moore's Law in computing before mass production can reduce costs from luxury recreation to everyday transport.
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