Skai Flying Car is the mobility solution from BMW and Alaka'i Technologies that differs from the rest of flying cars that we have seen to date by one feature: it is powered by hydrogen fuel cells .

It is an aircraft equipped with six electric motors, each with an output of 136 hp and which promises to reach speeds of up to 190 km / h.

Skai has been recently introduced to investors and media in Los Angeles, and will soon enter the testing phase in Massachusetts.

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This vertical takeoff and landing vehicle accommodates five passengers - four if there is a pilot - who will be able to see the traffic jams from the sky for four hours, before it is necessary to fill their tank with 400 liters of hydrogen.

Developed by aerospace experts, engineers and veteran pilots of NASA, Skai promises up to 644 km of autonomy. One of the most interesting features is that according to Alaka'i Technologies it is a means of transport that will be affordable.

Steve Hanvey, the executive director of the company, anticipate building more than 10,000 vehicles a year, with a cost that "will approach the price of a luxury car".

“Our focus for this project was to help building a new consumer facing brand from scratch – considering and designing all touch points – digital, physical and service,” Designworks President Holger Hampf said in a statement. “And as a result, delivering an all-encompassing user-centric experience which is purposeful and highly desirable in all aspects.”

Recall that the first flying car, the PAL-V Liberty, started at a price of 500,000 euros.

The Skai will be manufactured in three basic configurations: for taxis or personal passenger flights, for emergency medical transport and for deliveries of merchandise.

Skai is 95% reusable and 99% recyclable,  thanks to its hydrogen fuel cells.

Alaka'i Technologies expects to obtain certification for production vehicles by the end of 2020, and that the first flying car will be available for sale in early 2021.

Hydrogen is a controversial fuel for automobiles, but in aviation hydrogen cells easily bypass traditional batteries, since modern lithium batteries have a low energy density, and this dramatically reduces the possible power reserve of the device. The hydrogen drive is almost ten times more productive, and the device who runs on such fuel quickly refills.

Skai Highlights Include:
● Co-designed by Designworks with inherent quality craftsmanship
● Powered by clean hydrogen fuel cells, with zero emissions
● Range: Up to 4 Hours, ~ 400 Miles
● Six reliable, quiet, efficient electric motors with designed-in redundancy
● Seats up to five passengers
● Reliable, fault-tolerant architecture for safety and security
● Piloted version launched first, with autonomous versions to follow
● Designed for the ultimate in safety, with an Airframe Parachute

via skai.co.

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