The Lexus Hoverboard Is Here, But Not Yet

The Lexus hoverboard that everyone has been waiting impatiently to try out, purchase, or at least see in real life has been unveiled, but not the way you hoped it would.

According to CNET, a previous June 23 teaser of an actual Lexus hoverboard– which many wrote off as a hoax – turns out to be real.

The new Lexus hoverboard, which the company has decided to call “Slide,” for lack of a better name – is made up of magnets and liquid nitrogen-cooling superconductors. And it does float.

The joy of reality imitating Back to the Future.

That’s the good news. The bad news is: It’s not made for the market. At all.

The reason behind this is that the hoverboard itself requires magnets on the ground for it to actually work. So, for the Lexus hoverboard to be sold on the market and still generate the company some revenue, there would have to be numerous skating parks with magnetic flooring and, on top of that, be sold at a reasonable price and be pretty maneuverable for people to actually decide to buy it.

And speaking of maneuverability, skilled skaters have tested the Lexus hoverboard. And, as Motor Authority reports, they really didn’t handle the new tech well. This is what pro skater Ross McGouran had to say about his experience testing the new gadget.

“I’ve spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I’ve had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard. It’s a whole new experience.”

That’s right. A very experienced pro skater described riding the Lexus hoverboard the way a child riding a bike for the first time would describe that experience. And if you want to know how that looked in action, then watch the video below.

Just take a look at how often these professionals fall off the Lexus hoverboard.

The Telegraph quoted Lexus International’s executive vice president, Mark Templin, as saying that the company understood how difficult the idea of building a hoverboard – that actually hovers – really was.

“We’e discovered that making a hoverboard isn’t an easy process. We’ve experienced highs and lows and have overcome a few challenges, but through mutual determination we have created a demonstration of our philosophy in design and technology.”

So while the Lexus hoverboard is only a prototype – for now at least – the company still deserves an A for the amazing effort.

How excited were you when Lexus first teased the world with the possibility of its hoverboard? And how hopeful are you that Lexus hoverboard will – someday – be sold at a store near you?

[Image via YouTube]