Suzuki yesterday concluded a Manufacturing Cooperation Contract with SkyDrive for the manufacturing of “flying cars” at one of the automaker’s Japanese factories starting in late 2024.
“SkyDrive has established a 100% owned subsidiary Sky Works Inc. to manufacture ‘flying cars’,” announced Suzuki.
“The company will utilize a plant owned by the Suzuki Group in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and aim to start the manufacturing of “SkyDrive (SD-05 type)” around spring of 2024.”
SkyDrive will use the factory to produce up to 100 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) per year, and has allocated a total of 1 million yen (R128,600) to the initiative.
SkyDrive was formally established in July 2018 after testing flying car concepts and prototypes from 2014 with the mission of “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.”
The organisation succeeded in the first crewed flight test in Japan in 2019, and its eVTOL is currently in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification.
SD-05 specs
The SD-05 was unveiled in September 2022 with the first production model to make its debut as an air taxi in the Osaka Bay area during the world exposition scheduled for 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
The three-seater eVTOL features an S-shaped outer shell that was inspired by the streamlined shapes of birds and animals incorporating both horizontal and vertical tails for added stability, and 12 motor-propeller units positioned at the top corners of the “airframe”, representing a design that was honed through over 1,000 flight tests.
The specifics of its electric powertrain have not yet been divulged, but the company did say it will be able to travel a distance of up to 10km and reach a maximum cruising speed of 100km/h.
Similarly, the cabin which is being built in collaboration with JAMCO corporation, an aircraft interior maker, will only be revealed at a later date.
When complete, SD-05 is intended to be used for several unique applications, including:
- Access to resort facilities
- Emergency medical services
- Air taxi where geographical conditions or existing public transportation is detoured
According to SkyDrive, the benefit of an eVTOL as opposed to a normal helicopter is that it is far lighter and more compact, allowing for vertical airports to be installed anywhere in a city.
Keyword: Suzuki factory will start building “flying cars” in 2024