'Flying Cars' Compete in Airspeeder EXA Series eVTOL Race

'Flying-car’ contest took place over salt flats near Adelaide, South Australia.

Jonathan Welsh

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 02:30 PM ET

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Onboard cameras capture the action as eVTOLs race around a course in South Australia. [Courtesy: Airspeeder]

Key Takeaways:

Alauda Aeronautics and Airspeeder have launched the Airspeeder EXA Series, featuring the world's first remotely piloted electric "flying car" (eVTOL) race.
The inaugural race in South Australia saw two eVTOL "speeders" compete on a 1km course, with Zephatali Walsh winning the close contest.
The full-scale eVTOLs are designed to eventually accommodate pilots, with plans for the EXA Series to evolve into a feeder program for fully crewed Airspeeder Grand Prix races by 2024.
This racing initiative aims to accelerate the development of eVTOL technology, mirroring how early aircraft racing drove aviation advancements.

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Starting more than a century ago, racing helped drive the development of early aircraft to the point where they became mainstream mass transportation. Today companies building eVTOLs are taking a similar route.

Alauda Aeronautics and Airspeeder say two of their eVTOL racing vehicles competed in the first race for electric “flying cars,” kicking off their Airspeeder EXA Series of competitions featuring remotely piloted eVTOLs.