Image Credit: Captain Electro.
I risk repeating myself, but I'll say it anyway - we've been promised the Jetson lifestyle since long before I had my first pint of Guinness. We meant to be soaring over the traffic by now, laughing at all the poor sods stuck on the ground. And? Yeah... that definitely did not happen. We have Zoom calls, pilates and electric scooters instead. But… And I say this very carefully - the things appear to be moving toward that long-promised dream. The Velocitor X-1 is here to save us from the tyranny of asphalt. Or, at least, that's what the brochure says.
The Michigan-based startup, Velo X Aerospace, has decided that what the world really needs is a giant drone you can sit inside. And, looking at this wee beastie, part of me wants to strap in and shout "Geronimo!" The X-1 is a single-passenger eVTOL, which stands for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing. It's got four arms, eight motors, and enough propellers to chop a salad for a banquet hall.
Image Credit: Velo X Aerospace.
Velo X Aerospace claims this winged egg can cruise at 70 mph. You get about an hour of flight time on a single charge - that's plenty enough to get lost, panic, and realize you have left the oven on. But once you decide to land, you will be twiddling your thumbs for six hours while it recharges. Efficiency!
The Michigan crew insists that flying this contraption is easier than riding a snowmobile. They say if you can handle a side-by-side, you can fly the X-1. Personally, I have seen some of you drive side-by-sides, and that statement terrifies me. Thankfully, the computer does most of the heavy lifting. Oh, and it hovers autonomously using GPS, so you don't have to worry about knowing which way is up.
But what if the electronics decide to go on strike mid-air? They have thought of that too. It has a "LOWAS" system - LiDAR Obstacle Warning and Avoidance System - which stops you from hugging trees or high-fiving power lines. And if everything goes completely pear-shaped and gravity tries to reclaim you, a ballistic parachute fires out the top. It supposedly works even at 50 feet, which sounds like a very exciting way to soil your trousers.
So, probably the most important question right now is: How much for this ticket to the skies? That'll be $156,000. That is Porsche 911 money for something that looks like a kitchen appliance. They are only making 100 of these for the first run in early 2027, and apparently, 56 people with more money than sense have already put down a $5,000 deposit. If you want one of the last 44, you'd better move fast.
Image Credit: Velo X Aerospace.
Will you actually be commuting in this? Highly unlikely. Velo X is making noises about FAA certification, but let's be real for a moment. The government isn't going to let you buzz the tower at JFK just yet. It'll likely be sold as an "experimental" aircraft. That means you can fly it in circles over your own field in the middle of nowhere, waving at the cows. You won't be skipping rush hour on I-95 anytime soon. But for a brief moment before the battery dies, you will feel like a god. And that, my dear friend, is priceless.
Enjoyed the article? Give us a 'LIKE' and FOLLOW us on MSN! We're tracking the electric future... even if it's still buffering.
