We’re usually skeptical of such assertions, but luxury automaker Lexus recently announced it’s developing a working prototype of a hoverboard like the one that lead character Marty McFly rides (after time traveling forward to 2015) in the movie “Back to the Future II.”
The company says the skateboard of the future employs magnetic levitation via liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors and permanent magnets. Testing will reportedly take place in Barcelona, Spain, and be presented as part of a Lexus promotional campaign later this year, likely in a tie-in with the 30th anniversary of the “Back to the Future” series.
“At Lexus, we constantly challenge ourselves and our partners to push the boundaries of what is possible, says Lexus executive vice president Mark Templin. “The Hoverboard project is the perfect example of the amazing things that can be achieved when you combine technology, design and imagination.”
We still have our doubts, but even if it gets off the ground as planned, Lexus says it has no plans to actually build and market a flying skateboard.
— Jim Gorzelany
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