staff reporter. SUPPLIED

Xturismo, a Japanese flying bike could soon be manufactured in the UAE. The flying bike recently took public flight in the United States. "We are producing up to five units a month and plan mass production next year in Abu Dhabi in a joint venture with a (UAE) company," said Yuma Takenaka, global marketing executive manager of Aerwins, the manufacturer of Xturismo. However, he refused to reveal the name of the JV company or the number of units that would be produced. A hoverbike prototype is on display at Gitex Global 2022, the world's largest technology exhibition, which is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The expo runs from October 10 to 14, with over 5,000 technology companies participating worldwide. Xturismo was also on display at the Detroit Auto Show in September, with a live demo for the media. "I feel like I'm literally 15 years old and I just got out of 'Star Wars' and jumped on their bike," Thad Szott, co-chairman of Detroit Auto Show, told Reuters after taking the test drive at the Show. The single-seater flying bike costs $777,000 (Dh2.85 million) and weighs 300kg with a maximum payload of 100kg. It has a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a range of 40 kilometers. "In the future, there will be a model where more people can ride the flying bike. We started selling last year and so far we have sold around 10 units in Japan," said Takenaka. Since Japan doesn't classify Xturismo as an aircraft, people don't need a license to fly the bike; however, they're allowed to fly it over racetracks only. BKM/ Expat Media
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