Flying motorcycles: The speeders of tomorrow

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• January 17, 2023

Jetpack Aviation (JPA) of California reported (in 2021) a successful test flight of the Speeder, a self-stabilizing, jet-powered flying motorbike prototype. This prototype and others like it are being developed for flexible and sustainable traveling. 

Flying motorcycle context

The Speeder can launch from and land on most surfaces, taking up roughly the same amount of area as an average consumer vehicle or sedan. It can also be programmed for autonomous flight. The initial design called for four turbines, but the final product features eight at each corner to enhance safety via redundancy. Furthermore, the roughly 136-kilogram Speeder can transport twice its weight. This size-to-payload ratio distinguishes the Speeder from other vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles. Finally, a 12-inch navigation screen, hand controls, and a radio system are also included with the device.

The prototype's enhanced Speeder 2.0 version is undergoing extensive testing before manufacturing processes are pursued. Further testing began in early 2022, with a commercially viable version ready in 2023. JPA worked with Prometheus Fuels, Inc. to use its 100 percent zero net-carbon gasoline. JPA also plans to manufacture commercial versions for the military, first responders, and public safety agencies. Since it is still in the pre-production stage, there is no regulatory structure for this type of vehicle. As a result, it may only be utilized on private property and racetracks. Nonetheless, JPA has already begun taking pre-orders for the consumer vehicles, which will start at $380,000 USD. 

Disruptive impact

New laws and regulations will need to cater to the emergence of personal VTOL vehicles such as the flying motorcycle. This legislative work will require significant cooperation between federal, state/province, and municipal government bodies, which need to draft updated laws to monitor the domestic air space for VTOLs, enforce safety regulations, and address potential upgrades to ground traffic infrastructure. 

For example, like the transition to electric cars, these electric VTOL motorcycles would require modernized energy infrastructure (ideally) to harness renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Meanwhile, to ensure safety, these vehicles would need proactive safety mechanisms, such as sensors and warning systems, to prevent collisions and other accidents. A potential concern is that, with the increasing deployment of urban delivery and surveillance drones, autonomous flying vehicles might shift traffic to the skies.

The introduction of such a futuristic yet expensive mode of transport may also become a status symbol—at least, while the technology is still not viable for mass production. Just like space tourism, these vehicles will likely be accessible to only the rich and to select government institutions for the next two to three decades. In the near term, the technology can be helpful for search and rescue and first responders. Travel times will become faster, especially in urban environments, saving more lives. Similarly, urban law enforcement can employ such vehicles to carry out specific operations without blocking roads or closing passages for the citizens. 

Implications of flying motorcycles

Wider implications of flying motorcycles may include:

• More effective search and rescue operations, particularly in remote areas such as mountains, which can save more lives.
• Increasing jobs for motorcycle and drone engineers and designers as these vehicles will gradually see increased adoption as their reliability is proven out.
• The introduction of new laws and regulations that would govern the increasingly crowded urban air space. In many cases, it is likely that such personalized VTOLs may be banned from private use in select countries and municipalities that lack the resources to legislate or police their use.
• Brand partnerships resulting in customizable models that can become the next high-end collector’s item.
• Public backlash against the perceived heightened public safety risk these vehicles represent, as well as for the increasing noise pollution that comes with various flying vehicles, such as drones, rotorcrafts, and other vehicles. 

Questions to comment on

• What are the other potential use cases for flying motorcycles?
• How can manufacturers ensure that these vehicles are safe?