Currently reading: Airspeeder flying cars face off in first race

Flying racers take to the air for pre-season drag race ahead of 2022 world championship

Airspeeder, the world’s first flying car racing series, has provided a taster of what to expect in a new video showing two teams contesting a drag race.

The eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) racers are powered by a 129bhp powertrain and are capable of a 124mph top speed. Unmanned, as they are here, each is said to weigh just 100kg. 

Two teams from Alauda Aeronautics, the manufacturer of the four-rotor machines, battled it out in the South Australian desert. Team Bravo was led by technical project manager Brett Hill while Team Alpha was led by head of operations Renee Fraser.

Team Bravo took victory over the quarter-mile drag race, crossing the line three seconds faster than Team Alpha over the quarter-mile. 

The drag race also enabled Alauda Aeronautics to show off its lidar-and-radar-powered Virtual Forcefield system, which will ensure optimum safety between racers in full-grid events. 

This test was in preparation for Airspeeder’s EXA Series, where remote pilots will take control of full-scale flying electric cars, known as Speeders, from the ground. 

The first EXA season will serve as a feeder series for the forthcoming Airspeeder Racing series, where crewed electric flying cars will race at venues across the globe in 2022.   

“We are on the cusp of making motorsport and mobility history with the world’s first electric flying car races,” said Matt Pearson, the founder and CEO of Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics. 

“This first test drag race is a major moment in the creation of our sport and a giant leap forward for the development of electric flying cars.” 

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Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and fiirst drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in electric cars, new car news, microbility and classic cars. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

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Fash67 4 November 2021

I often ask myself if I'm reading THE AUTOCAR!!!

Tom Chet 4 November 2021

I agree with xxxx's comment.  They are big drones.  In this race, they just flew a short distance in a straight line over some dust. 

Will there be more than two drones in future Airspeeder races?  Will they have to go round corners and, perhaps, move up and down a bit? If they don't carry a pilot/driver or have any wheels, why are they called 'flying cars'?

xxxx 4 November 2021

Bit confused, when you say flying racing cars you mean remote control drones. You can wear as many sun glasses and cool uniforms as you want but it's still for nerds.