Airspeeder Racing Series eVTOL Begins Production in Australia
The world's firsts just keep on coming in the electric sphere, with a bevy of new products taking advantage of the performance benefits of improved battery tech and high-output motors.
The conflux of racing, electric powertrains, and aviation has seen a number of permutations, some trending more traditional in form and appearance and others fully embracing the freedom of multirotor design. The upcoming Airspeeder flying car series is slated to be introduced in upcoming unmanned races between competing Mk3 electric flying cars.The racers, built to fly when piloted remotely or directly, will initially undergo flight and safety testing prior to the remotely-piloted race series. If all goes well, then the proceeding races will see each aircraft piloted directly from the cockpit.
The Mark 3 is the newest, latest, and greatest racer Alauda has made, featuring Lidar and radar collision avoidance systems, a carbon fiber chassis and fuselage, and vastly improved powertrain over previous iterations. The car boasts a 96 kW powertrain aboard a 100kg dry weight, capable of speeds over 120 km/h. Recent updates to the MK3-C included sponsor support from Telstra and AWS, installing improved 5G networking for near simultaneous, instantaneous remote control between multiple units.
Mass production, or the closest thing to it for a small-batch, high performance racer, has begun in association with the South Australian Government. Their $20M AUS support for the Australian Space Park has been instrumental in building the infrastructure needed to make a cutting edge, next generation factory.
The factory should live up to the hype, with personnel drawn from the racing/engineering cadres of McLaren, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Airbus, and Ferrari. Alauda and its Airspeeder racing series, once again prove that racing improves the breed.
"This will rapidly accelerate a mobility revolution and place Adelaide on the map as a world-class center of innovation," said Matt Pearson, Alauda CEO. The main Alauda demonstrator looks every bit the racing machine, with a two-tone paint scheme and sponsor badging all along the fuselage. DHL, Equals, Acronis, Nvidia, and high-end watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen have staked their claims to available ad space, proving the premium marketing viability held by the sport. Specific race dates will be announced as the 2022 season nears.