Lexus Hoverboard Gets the Ultimate Test Ride

Another reason not to get too excited yet – and hold off on getting that wallet ready for a pre-order – is that while the Lexus hoverboard is indeed working, its superconductivity lasts for only 20 minutes, after which the liquid nitrogen evaporates and loses its effect, as reported by The Verge.

Following the philosophy of Chief Engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi, who says, “There is no such thing as impossible, it’s just a matter of figuring out how”, the promotional video follows a handful of test riders taking out the very new (and probably very expensive) tech at Lexus’ designated hoverpark.

The official reveal of the Lexus Hoverboard in action marks the culmination of 18 months of design and technology planning and weeks of testing at a specially-constructed “hoverpark” near Barcelona in Spain. “It’s a whole new experience”. The board hovers over a track fitted with permanent magnets to achieved magnetic levitation.

The Lexus Hoverboard features two cryostats, reservoirs which contain superconducting material kept at -197 degree Celsius through immersion in liquid nitrogen. When placed on a magnetic track, the board floats, the press release said.

The Lexus Hoverboard may not require 1.21 gigawatts to function, but it is truly bleeding-edge technology.

The hoverboard was tested at Lexus’ Catalonina skate park, which is made out of wood painted like cement with an embedded magnetic track that was covered with plaster. “Superconductors don’t yet have a practical application in transportation – they don’t even use them in maglev trains. The force is strong enough that the rider can stand and even jump on the board”. While it may not been an exact replica of the hoverboard featured in back to the future, it is most certainly a step in the right direction.