SkyDrive and Suzuki to collaborate on business and technology of flying cars

TOYOTA and HAMAMATSU, Japan, Mar. 25, 2022 (ANTARA/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet) --

SkyDrive Inc. (hereinafter "SkyDrive") and Suzuki Motor Corporation (hereinafter "Suzuki") jointly announced on March 22 a partnership for the commercialization of flying cars (*).

SkyDrive is a leading manufacturer of flying cars in Japan and is currently engaged in the development of a compact, two-seater electric-powered flying car with plans for full-scale production.

Suzuki is one of Japan's leading automakers with expertise that includes manufacturing and selling compact cars in international markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, SkyDrive and Suzuki will start consideration to collaborate in areas of business and technology that include technology R&D, planning of manufacturing and mass-production systems, development of overseas markets with an initial focus on India, and promotion of efforts to attain carbon neutrality.

SkyDrive aims to begin air taxi service during the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, as well as to initiate service in other regions of Japan.

Suzuki, which has the company motto "Develop products of superior value by focusing on the customer," currently offers products in three mobility categories -- automobiles, motorcycles, and outboard motors. The company aims to remain indispensable to people by staying closely attuned to their lives and providing mobility. The partnership with SkyDrive will provide Suzuki with opportunities to explore and potentially add flying cars as a fourth mobility business.

SkyDrive was established in July 2018 with the mission of "leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution." Since then, it has advanced the development of flying cars and cargo drones while working in partnership with others to promote the shared vision of a future in which people use air mobility as a means of transportation in their daily lives. SkyDrive is the only company in Japan that has successfully conducted manned test flights and is now involved in designing a system for future air mobility as a member of Japan's public-private council for advanced air mobility. The company's cargo drones, which can carry payloads of up to 30kg, are already being used at worksites in Japan, mainly in mountainous areas. SkyDrive is aiming to launch a flying car service in the Osaka Bay area in 2025. SkyDrive has headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Tomohiro Fukuzawa is CEO of the company.

For more information, please visit: https://en.skydrive2020.com/

Suzuki Motor Corporation is one of Japan's leading carmakers and a global motorcycle manufacturer. The company's non-vehicle products include outboard motors for boats and motorized wheelchairs. It builds its lineup on its own and through numerous subsidiaries and joint ventures outside Japan. Suzuki was established in 1920 and has headquarters in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. Toshihiro Suzuki is President of the company.

Website: https://www.globalsuzuki.com/

(*) Flying cars are formally known as eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. eVTOL is characterized by electrification, a fully autonomous autopilot, and vertical takeoff and landing. As a new advancement in the field of mobility, the development of flying cars is being promoted in many countries around the world. In Japan, the Public-Private Council for Air Mobility Revolution was established in 2018 with meetings held since then. The project is expected to lead to taxi services in urban areas, new means of transportation for remote islands and mountainous areas, and emergency transportation in times of disaster. A roadmap has been formulated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) for the start of business in 2023 and full-scale deployment in 2030.