Commuting could be about to get a whole lot more interesting if the vision of the Kiwi entrepreneurs who head up Manta5 is realised; as their Hydrofoiler XE-1, proclaimed as the world's first hydrofoil e-bike, is now on sale and appearing at this week's Consumer Electronics (CES) Show in Vegas.
Though the concept of a pedal-powered hydrofoil bike isn't new (check out this footage of the Flying Fish that first maintained flight on water way back in 1983), Manta5 say their e-bike version is a world first. The motorised aquatic bike is capable of reaching speeds of 20km/h, has variable levels of assist and can be packed down to fit in a car for easy transportation as shown in the video above.
The Hydrofoiler has been in production for seven years and went through seven prototypes before Manta5 arrived at the finished product, and they now describe it as "the next frontier on water". The carbon fibre hydrofoils make it impressively lightweight, coming in at 20kg. A streamlined profile makes the bike hydro and aerodynamically efficient, and Manta5 believe future versions may be able to go even faster.
The bikes cost £5,790 each, and can be pre-ordered now on the Manta5 website with a 50% deposit for a summer 2020 delivery.
The CES Show runs until Friday 10th January at Las Vegas Convention Centre - more info and a guide to all the brands and products that will be appearing can be found here.
