Japanese firms SkyDrive Inc. and Suzuki Motor Corporation have recently announced their partnership for the commercialization of flying cars, i.e. eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.
Tokyo-based SkyDrive is a leading manufacturer of flying cars in Japan and is currently engaged in the development of a compact battery-electric flying car with plans for full-scale production. The company aims to begin air taxi service during the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, as well as to initiate service in other regions of the country.
As per the announcement, SkyDrive and Suzuki will collaborate in areas of business and technology including R&D and planning on mass-production systems and manufacturing. Further, the companies will focus on developing overseas markets for the same, with an initial focus on India.
SkyDrive is perhaps the only company in Japan to have successfully conducted manned test flights and is currently involved in designing a system for future air mobility. The company's cargo drones, which can carry payloads of up to 30 kgs, are already being used at worksites in Japan, mainly in mountainous areas.
With the latest partnership, Suzuki is seeking new opportunities to explore and potentially add flying cars as a fourth mobility business vertical in its portfolio, apart from automobiles, motorcycles, and outboard motors. The company also claims to consider the partnership as part of its promotion of efforts to attain carbon neutrality.
As a new advancement in the field of mobility, the development of flying cars is being promoted in many countries around the world. They hold electrification, fully-autonomous autopilot, and vertical takeoff and landing credentials, and are seen as the next-generation sustainable mobility solutions for both passengers and last-mile cargo transportation.
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