Marlo: So if we’re going to the air for transportation in the future, odds are pretty good that we’re going to the air for recreation. This may be the most fun at CES this year. So Thierry, tell me a little bit about the racing drone, or the racing car, I should say.
Thierry: Maca is developing a new concept. And a new vehicle, which is a flying racing car, using hydrogen as energy vector. Our idea is to use this vehicle in the racing environment, to pull the technology faster than in other environment. And the idea is really to use this technology in the future on future flying taxi
Marlo: you anticipate that hydrogen is going to be the fuel of the future. And you actually want to introduce that in by racing, flying cars, and as soon as possible, or what are you thinking there?
Thierry: Yeah. As soon as possible. Of course, in terms of regulation, the racing is less regulated than people transportation and we know that during our pre development, because this project was born in Airbus company. And we spent three years developing that and during our development, we understood that it’s not possible to fly with batteries, because the NGO NGO runs is very low, few minutes with batteries. And it’s totally possible to remove the batteries to put a fuel cell, a hydrogen tank, and to increase significantly the the endurance of the flying car.
Marlo: I know you have a bottle of it here, do you have a prototype that you’ve developed already that you actually have tested.
Thierry: In 2019, we built a third scale prototype, which is around two, three meters, okay, to validate the architecture of the vehicle. And now we are in the in the step two to make the assembly of the scale one, and the scale one will fly. And of this year, it will be a simple flight, you know, without pilot on board, because this is a next step. We have to certify the vehicle with the pilot. And later we will need more investors— more money to develop this certified vehicle for the first racing around 2024-25
Marlo: Wow. So notice that I’m speechless when he said that I was expecting you to be in the 2030s. So you’re thinking by 2025 You’re actually going to have a race.
Thierry: Exactly. First events, okay. Offers right, because, you know, we are developing the vehicle, but we are also developing the environment for the racing. And we are working with peepers from Formula One who are very interested in our concept. And they help us to define the rules the future rules for these kinds of racing, futuristic racing.
Marlo: Okay, so how fast do you expect these to go? We have made the calculation.
Thierry: The expected speed is 250 kilometers per hour. 155 miles per hour. Quite fast. Close to a Formula One speed. a little bit less.
MarIo: I’m looking forward to seeing this in 2024 2025. We’ll keep checking back in with you. Thank you theory. This is your “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson at CES 2022.
