Nascent eVTOL “flying car” racing league Airspeeder has announced a collaboration with renowned architecture firm HOK to introduce the “SkyDeck,” described as the world’s first modular race vertiport. This solar-powered hub will offer fans 360-degree views of the eVTOLs racing through the air, bringing a new level of immersion to motorsports.
Airspeeder is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) racing league headquartered in London, first announced in November 2021. The league operates as an entity of Alauda Aeronautics – an electric aviation company based in Adelaide, Australia, where the league’s headquarters and testing grounds are located. Alauda also designs, engineers, and builds the league’s dedicated eVTOL racing aircraft called “Airspeeders.”
Since its initial launch, we’ve seen Alauda and Airspeeder assemble teams of racers that competed in development races on the way to an entire global competition called the EXA Series. In the fall of 2022, we got our first glimpse of the excitement an eVTOL racing league could bring to motorsport enthusiasts when Airspeeder showcased its first-ever EXA racing event.
At the time, Airspeeder pilots like Zephatali Walsh, who ended up winning the inaugural EXA Series Championship in December 2023, competed remotely from the ground. The goal of Airspeeder and the EXA Series has always been to deliver crewed “flying car” races, which should happen using Mk4 eVTOLs, which were unveiled in early February.
To add even more technology to a unique and exciting new motorsport, Airspeeder has recently collaborated with HOK to design a new modular vertiport, which will allow future spectators to visit and experience aerial action up close with 360-degree views. You can see more in the video below.
A rending of the SkyDeck eVTOL vertiport / Source: Airspeeder
Airspeeder looks to revolutionize flying car races for fans
Airspeeder shared details of its new innovative design collaboration called “SkyDeck,” which is a modular flying car race vertiport and event space developed with HOK’s Sports + Entertainment team based in London.
HOK brought experience in developing and building unique design projects like LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B in New York City, Mercedes-Benz Stadium where the Atlanta Falcons play, and the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Together, HOK and Airspeeder shared they have been able to imagine a new creative space for EXA Series spectators that also addresses the unique challenges of flying car races. Per John Rhodes, director of Sports + Entertainment at HOK:
It is incredibly exciting to design a brand new sports typology. Airspeeder challenged us to draw on our decades of expertise designing for F1 and other sporting events while also imagining a physical environment for the future.
The result of these efforts its the SkyDeck, a new fully-modular eVTOL vertiport that is 100% solar-powered as part of Airspeeder’s “leave no trace” philosophy of sustainability in motorsports. The initial design seen above offers space for up to 10 teams and 20 Airspeeders. However, its modularity allows room for continuous expansion to the structure in order to meet the evolving needs of the young aerial sport as it grows.
This new hub design is unique in that it sits directly beneath the airborne racetrack. The vertical nature of this setup offers a spectators an immersive 360-degree experience, where they can observe the race grid and finish line from one spot.
HOK has also helped design an “airside” zone within the SkyDeck, where teams have protected workspaces that fans can see and watch behind the scenes action. These zones also include retractable landing pads for mid-race pit stops to change batteries. Stephen Sidlo, Airspeeder’s global media & marketing director, also spoke:
We believe that flying car racing will initiate a new mobility revolution, advancing eVTOL and EV technology to benefit the entire industry. This collaboration with HOK represents not just a new sport but the future of high-speed, sustainable mobility.
As if flying car races weren’t unique enough to the world of motorsport, Airspeeder and HOK believe the SkyDeck, which will be erected in the desert of Australia, is first-of-its-kind approach for fans that will combine cutting-edge design with interactive digital experiences.
Airspeeder looks to continue its EXA flying car race series with 10 crewed teams in 2025. You can see more of the design plans for the SkyDeck in Airspeeder’s video below:
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The Tesla Cybertruck used in the Las Vegas bombing appears to have landed in an auction for sale as salvaged, still destroyed. CEO Elon Musk said Tesla would put it back on the road.
Good luck with that.
In January, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded at the Trump Tower in Las Vegas.
The driver is believed to have shot himself in the head right before the vehicle exploded. Evidence proved that some firework mortars and gas canisters were inside the Cybertruck’s bed.
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After the explosion, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised the Cybertruck for “containing” the explosion and reducing the damage.
He even went as far as claiming that the powertrain was still working and that Tesla would rebuild the Cybertruck and bring it back on the road:
“Once we get this Cybertruck back to Tesla, we’ll buff out the scratches and get it back on the road.”
When questioned about the seriousness of this statement, he affirmed, “No, I mean it.”
They clearly haven’t yet because the Cybertruck has now shown up as a salvaged vehicle for auction on IAA’s site:
It’s not clear if Tesla had an opportunity to get the truck until now, but they certainly could buy it now.
Electrek’s Take
Good luck rebuilding the truck. Maybe they can salvage the battery pack and motors in a new truck, but there’s no way or point to salvage the chassis.
Elon has already confirmed that Tesla engineers have looked at the car. I’m sure that they had the opportunity to get it from the insurance company.
I bet that Tesla doesn’t want the car, and it won’t be back on the road as Elon claimed. You can add it to the list of lies he told this year. Are we in the hundreds already? And we are only in March.
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What’s better than an all-electric boat? An all-electric boat with a hot tub in it. Niche boatbuilder Spacruzzi made waves (but limited wake) last year with an electric hot tub boat model showcased around the US, including Lake Tahoe and even on the Chicago River. For 2025, Spacruzzi has introduced a sleeker and more refined version of its electric boat and opened its waiting list for a limited number of builds scheduled for this year.
Spacruzzi is a marine vessel developer whose flagship product shares the same name and looks to stand out as a luxury option for both private owners and rental operators. Per the company website:
While there have been other versions of hot tub boats on the market over the years, nothing comes close to matching the experience of a Spacruzzi. From the attention to detail, luxury finishes and patent pending features to the outstanding build quality and ease of ownership – we have set out to create the most sought after experience on the water. We built Spacruzzi to provide an unforgettable experience to the end user while giving rental operators and entrepeneuers an exciting new offering to build and grow their business and it is our mission to enable this industry to thrive.
Each electric boat is designed, fabricated, and assembled by hand at Spacruzzi’s facilities in Polson, Montana. They arrive fully compliant for anyone and everyone to operate and deliver mobility technology that exceeds environmental regulations.
A previous version of the Spacruzzi electric hot tub boat appeared on the FOX game show Snake Oil, and several were put into rental operations on the Chicago River—available even during some of the colder months.
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Recently, Spacruzzi introduced an updated version of its electric hot-tub boat featuring a more luxurious look and feel. Additionally, a select few can put a deposit down to secure one for themselves this year.
Spacruzzi introduces upgrades to its 2025 hot tub boat
The images above show the updated version of Spacruzzi’s electric hot tub boat. This model is 15.6 feet long and 8.2 feet wide, with a draft of only 2.75 feet, enabling it to navigate shallow waters. When on the water, the Spacruzzi electric hot tub boat offers room for 6 passengers and weighs about 4,500 pounds at max capacity, alongside 400 gallons of water in the tub itself, which can be heated to up to 104℉.
The hot tub boat is propelled by a 3.0 Torqeedo electric motor pod that delivers approximately 3-5 horsepower, translating to 4-5 mph speeds on the water. A USCG-compliant propane heater supports the vessel’s hot tub operations, and two compartments aft of the vessel offer room for up to four lithium battery packs capable of powering the motor, heater, and internal water treatment system for up to 16 hours.
Each boat includes one battery pack that can deliver between four and five hours of running time on a single charge. Each boat also has AC charging capabilities, but Spacruzzi can add fast charging for an additional fee. Speaking of fees, Spacruzzi shared that it has opened its waitlist for its 2025 hot tub boat production schedule.
Interested individuals or businesses can secure an electric hot tub boat build with a $2,500 non-refundable deposit. When Spacruzzi is ready to assemble your vessel, it requires a 50% deposit minus the $2,500 waitlist deposit. The final 50% payment is due when the order is complete; it will be shipped to your specified destination. Spacruzzi says builds take about 90-100 days after receiving the 50% production deposit. Per Spacruzzi, the base price of its updated boat is $68,500.
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Ford is investing billions in Europe as it struggles to keep pace with the wave of Chinese and other low-cost EVs hitting the market. With another 4.4 billion euros ($4.8 billion) in funding, Ford looks to turn things around, but it’s also calling on lawmakers to do more.
Ford injects billions in Europe to fight Chinese EVs
With “significant losses” over the past few years, Ford is restructuring its business in Europe as it aims to cut costs and simplify operations.
Back in November, the American automaker said it planned to cut another 4,000 jobs in Europe by 2027, blaming “lower-than-expected” demand and mounting pressure from new EVs entering the market, including Chinese brands like BYD and SAIC’s MG.
Ford announced plans to invest another 4.4 billion euros ($4.8 billion) on Monday to support its transformation. The funds will be used to reduce the growing debt at its German subsidiary, Ford-werke GmbH.
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In a statement, the company said the new capital injection will help reduce debt at Ford plants in Germany and fund a multi-year business plan. Ford’s German unit has about 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) of debt.
Ford Explorer EV production in Cologne (Source: Ford)
Ford Motor Company’s vice chairman, John Lawler, explained, “With the new capital for our German subsidiary, we are driving the transformation of our business in Europe and strengthening our competitiveness with a new product range.”
Lawler stressed the need to “simplify our structures, reduce costs and increase efficiency” if it wants to compete. He added that Europe needs “a clear political agenda” to promote EV adoption that aligns with consumer demand.
Ford’s electric vehicles in Europe from left to right: Puma Gen-E, Explorer, Capri, and Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)
Over the past few years, Ford has invested heavily in Europe to better compete, including $2 billion to upgrade its Cologne manufacturing plant to produce EVs.
The plant builds two models, Ford’s electric Explorer and Capri. Although Ford revealed its fourth EV for Europe (including the Mustang Mach-E) in December, the Puma Gen-E is being built in Romania.
Electrek’s Take
Can Ford spark life back into its European business? It’s not the only one struggling to keep up with new competition, Volkswagen is also cutting jobs in its home market and is even considering closing plants.
Chinese auto brands market share in Europe (Source: JATO Dynamics)
Legacy automakers, like Ford and Volkswagen, have been caught off guard by Chinese EV leaders like BYD’s aggressive expansion overseas to drive growth.
According to Jato Dynamics, Chinese brands are quickly gaining traction in Europe. In January 2025, 37,134 Chinese vehicles were registered, a 52% increase from the previous year. During the same time, Chinese brands’ market share grew from 2.4% to 3.7%. Combined, it would now put them ahead of Ford.
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