ASKA A5 electric car, designed by a US-based automobile company, was showcased at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capability.
ASKA A5 electric car is a dual-functional vehicle that can run on road and stay up in the air for up to 250 miles (402km) on a single charge. With this, the vehicle offers the advantage of escaping traffic congestion and enhances mobility because of its dual travel functionality.
According to Kaplinsky, ASKA’s co-founder, the vehicle not only meet customers’ mobility needs but also has a high potential for emergency response and delivery services.
ASKA A5 uses a dual-energy power system, lithium-ion energy battery, and gasoline engine. The gasoline engine serves as an onboard range extender, as it is designed to keep the vehicle on air even when the battery gets low during long-distance travels, thereby providing power reliability.
Flying Mode
ASKA’s electric car has wings with six rotors, enabling the vehicle to either take off vertically (like a helicopter) or run like a plane on a runaway. ASKA also exhibits vertical takeoff and landing functionality with the aid of its in-wheel motor technology, with a takeoff time of less than 5 seconds and a runaway range of 250ft (76.2m), occupying a relatively large amount of space for vertical takeoff and landings like a helipad or vertiport.
Driving Mode
Its in-wheel motor technology serves for land mobility. ASKA A5 can fit into existing car space where it can be charged electrically. The vehicle is expected to be available for commercial use by 2026, offering drop services by certified pilots.
While ASKA A5 electric car travels at a speed of 150mph (241.4km/h), Airspeeder MK4 beats the record as the world’s fastest flying car reaching 360kph (223.7mph) in 30 seconds of travel.
However, Airspeeder MK4 has a takeoff weight of 950kg, unlike ASKA A5, which has a higher takeoff weight ranging from 1995kg-2993kg.
AirSpeeder MK4 is a flying race car manufactured by Alauda Aeronautics, an Aerospace company in South Australia. In the vehicle’s design, the company formed a team of various automobile manufacturers like Ferrari, McLaren, Airbus, MagniX and Boeing.
In car range, Airspeeder covers over 300km range which is higher than that of ASKA A5. Airspeeder MK4 is run by a 1,340hp turbo-generator that powers batteries and motors. It uses hydrogen as fuel with the release of nitrogen oxide in hydrogen fuel combustion. However, the vehicle has a special combustion design that keeps the flame temperature low, reducing the emission of nitrous oxide.
The vehicle has an AI gimbaled thrust system for flight automated control employed for adjusting the four-rotor pairs for vertical takeoff and landing.
Alauda Aeronautics plans to begin testing by March 2023 in preparation for Airspeeder Racing Championship in 2024.
While the flying car technology is anticipated and getting ready for commercialization, what will be the next automobile technology to expect?
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Photo by ASKA Fly, eVTOL
