Announced officially last June, the Lexus Hover generated more questions than answers due to a near total lack of information. Even the capability of Lexus to build a hoverboard based on superconductivity was doubted, but yesterday all the unknowns were cleared up. The Lexus Hover is real, has the same limitations we have detected in previous hoverboards, and is likely never to reach the market… but it looks great.
Up to here, I think the term hoverboard and the phrase "personal maglev transport" work very well as synonyms. Although it is possible to make an object levitate, the preconditions for it are quite complex, and no matter how much we wish otherwise, the Lexus Hover does not escape that. Still, I maintain my opinion expressed in the original article: We want it. No matter if it is necessary to use personal armor and a helmet to absorb the blows, we want to get on a hoverboard in this life, just as we want Master Fusion, the dream inducer, mini pizzas and flying cars.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZwSwZ2Y0OpsThe SLIDE in detail
The Lexus Hover, which apparently has been renamed SLIDE, uses a series of superconducting modules (32 in total) cooled with liquid nitrogen (1.5 liters), so that they reach a temperature of -197 degrees Celsius, and the rest is reduced to placing it on a surface prepared with permanent magnets. The total weight of the Lexus Hover reaches 11.5 kilograms, its top is made of natural bamboo, and unlike its cinematic brothers, it can move over water.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/q_BYvUlDviMThe fact of needing a special circuit is probably the most negative aspect, since it forces the hoverboard to be kept in a specific location... but something tells me that skateboard enthusiasts are more than willing to accept that limitation. Getting used to the 'freedom' of the Lexus Hover is a challenge in itself, and it will be accompanied by a significant amount of blows, however, that did not stop them before, and I do not think it does now. For now, Lexus has not said a word about prices, or a potential market launch. It is logical to assume that it will seek to reap the advertising harvest, and from there, determine if it is commercially viable or not. Until then... let's keep dreaming.
