All-Electric Flying Car Races Will Take Place as Early as 2020

The company responsible for these creations, Alauda, was due to run manned testing of the Speeders in the Mojave Desert, in California this year. But, these have now been moved to near Adelaide, South Australia, closer to the company's home base. 

So far, successful unmanned testing has already happened using a remote control, and it's been a success. 

The Airspeeder vehicle weighs approximately 249.5 kg (550 pounds) and uses a battery pack that can be swapped during the race — much like a Formula E tire swap. Each pack is expected to last 15 minutes. The cars' motors can reach speeds of up to 201 kph (125 mph) thanks to its four 32-horsepower electric motors. You may have to look quite far up depending on the race, as these vehicles can fly between five and 40 meters high (15 to 130 feet). 

However, there are still some obstacles the team has to overcome before Airspeeder can push forward. These include defining regulations around vertiports, managing airspace, and developing reliable supply chains.

That said, it's an exciting time for the future of motorsports. "Traditional motorsport fans will certainly recognize many elements of our race series," Matt Pearson told Euronews, founder of Alauda and the Airspeeder series.

Pearson continued by saying that the plan is to have "distinct teams, pit-stops, pilots and a focus on delivering the sport to as many fans as possible through globally broadcasted live streams."

"However, we do differ in the sense that Alauda, the manufacturing arm of our company, will develop the technology and set the regulations. This means that there will be [a] significant focus on the skill of the pilot and exceptional race strategy." 

Ultimately, "this is motorsport for the 21st century," he said, adding "it will inspire people who are native to E-Sports as well as the more traditional motorsport fan."