Hovercraft are vehicles that many of us expect to see in the future. Since the 1950s, automobile experts have wanted to build a customized car that could be driven in the land, water, and sand.
After a couple of decades, the first hovercraft was introduced. Meet "Arosa," - the first luxury sports hovercraft that floats over land and water.
Von Mercier's Arosa Hovercraft
The new automobile has a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, with miles of range measuring 120 miles at 40 mph. The hovercraft's performance may not be on par with the latest sportscar, but it is the fastest amphibious car ever to exist.
The roadster, according to a report by DailyMail, could travel on the road with its air cushion maintained on the under chassis that measures seven inches off the ground. With its potential, the new hovercar can indeed swoosh across a water surface, giving a new meaning to an "off-road" vehicle.
The design of the amphibious vessel was developed by a British automobile firm Von Mercier. The car, known as Arosa, will be a cutting-edge innovation that fuses the systems of a hybrid hovercraft and electric vehicle.
Arosa hovercraft contains an open cockpit that offers two seats in an arrangement similar to a fighter jet. The car's rear wheels are hidden, and its dashboard is occupied with digital-based driving devices.
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Hybrid-Electric Amphibious Vehicle
The hybrid-electric concept for the car allows it to utilize a petrol engine and power up to three of its electric motors. It comes with a buffer battery that could store electricity for sudden short bursts of speed.
The massive rims of Arosa look similar to a standard car rim. However, the rounded device on its rear is actually rotors that work with the car's fan ducts. All of these are one step above the common rubber tires we have on modern-day vehicles, as Von Mercier plans Arosa to be the "most maneuverable personal hovercraft" ever to exist.
Hovercrafts built before Arosa had an uncontrollable system. Von Mercier applied an advanced directional control system with the latest innovation to solve the problem, which they believe could handle superior maneuverability in any direction possible.
Similar to a boat, the Arosa's architecture has side decks that protect the driver and passenger inside from splash and allow a few more individuals to hitch when transporting through water surfaces.
Von Mercier will manufacture a total of 50 models of the Arosa hovercraft for its first batch of sales in summer.
A total of 180 customers expressed interest in purchasing a model. The price of the car is expected to be at $100,000 but could increase depending on customizations that the buyer desires for the unit.
Unfortunately, hovercrafts are classified as boats and cannot be driven on public roads.
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