Fast Japanese Hoverbike

A Japanese startup hopes to persuade wealthy consumers to swap their supercar for a $680,000 hoverbike that went on sale on Tuesday. The "XTurismo Limited Edition" from Tokyo-based drone startup A.L.I. Technologies is equipped with a conventional engine and 4 battery-powered motors and promises to fly for 40 minutes at up to 62 miles per hour. The black and red hoverbike consists of a motorcycle-like body on top of propellers. The startup, whose backers include industrial heavyweights Mitsubishi Electric ($MIELY@Japan) and Kyocera ($KYOCY@US) and celebrities like soccer player Keisuke Honda, demonstrated the bike with a short flight a few meters off the ground at a race track. Its near-term uses will be limited to rural sites, and it will not be allowed to fly over Japan's packed roads. Strict regulations in Japan driven by safety concerns have hobbled the growth of sectors like ride-sharing and flying cars. But the bike could be used by rescue teams to reach difficult-to-access locations. Amid pending regulation changes, commercial success for A.L.I. Technologies would help reinforce Japan's industrial edge amid a generational shift towards new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles.