Airspeeder is a hi-tech racing series which is founded by Matt Pearson and is powered by Alauda, which is a performance eVTOL ( electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle ) manufacturer. eVTOL, for the uninitiated, is an aircraft that uses electric power to take off, land and hover. Airspeeder has recently unveiled its fully functioning electric flying racecar, the MK3. It is remotely operated eVTOL which will be remotely piloted in the upcoming Airspeeder racing series.
More details
A full grid of more than 10 electric flying MK3s are currently being manufactured at Alauda tech HQ in south Australia. The MK3 will be the base for the company’s upcoming maiden racing season.
The first model under the MK series was the MK1 which was unveiled way back in 2017 which was a single pilot vehicle with 4 propellers. In 2018, the company launched the MK2 with 8 propellers which was specifically designed for low altitude racing. MK3 commencement programme began in October 2020. Some very big names in the aerospace and motorsport industry are involved in this project like McLaren, Boeing, Brabham, Rolls Royce, Jaguar Land Rover etc. Prior to the racing season, a behind closed doors testing of these machines will be conducted in Australia and furthermore, the in-depth details of the machine and the racing schedule and programme will be announced later.
The MK3 and the racing series are a result of 3 years of brainstorming and hard work and as a result of that, 2021 will mark a debut of the Airspeeder racing series wherein the races will be remotely piloted at speeds in excess of 120 km/h.
Official statement
Matt Pearson, Founder, Airspeeder and Alauda said, “The unveiling of the world’s first full-sized electric flying racing car is a landmark moment in the dawn of a new mobility revolution. It is a competition that drives progress and our racing series is hastening the arrival of technology that will transform clean-air passenger transport, logistics and even advanced air mobility for medical applications. The world’s first electric flying car races will take place this year will be the most exciting and progressive motorsport on the planet.”
The MK3 powertrain is a significant upgrade of the MK2 wherein the MK3 features a 96 kW electric powertrain with an absolutely bonkers thrust to weight ratio of above 2 and an unmanned weight of a 100 kilos only. This is grand prix racing to a whole new level. This is a glimpse of what racing in the future will look like.
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