Japanese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startup firm SkyDrive announced today, June 19, that it has entered into a partnership agreement with automotive giant Suzuki for the broadening of its aircraft manufacturing process. SkyDrive will leverage one of Suzuki's manufacturing plants based in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, to bring the company's dream eVTOL to fruition.
In the same breath, SkyDrive also gave word of a new enhancement to its high-flying vehicle with the addition of a passenger seat, bringing the total occupancy of the SkyDrive eVTOL to three (one pilot and two passengers). The firm also has given its eVTOL the same name as its company, which it hopes will amplify its conviction of a future that is marked by more common modes of aerial transportation.
Through the help of Suzuki, the so-called "Skydrive" eVTOL will begin its full production come Spring 2024. Suzuki will also aid the firm in necessary human resources and manufacturing preparations, with more conditions to be met through still ongoing discussions between both parties. The two parties have been in business together dating back to March 2022, when they inked a similar agreement to advance the state of commercialized flying car technology.
"In our pursuit to consistently manufacture safe and high-quality aircraft for the world, we are grateful for the valuable know-how we will learn from Suzuki, a globale leader in automobile mass production," said SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa. "Suzuki and Skydrive will work closely towards the shared goal."
Since 2018, SkyDrive has aimed to not only make aerial transportation more comfortable and rewarding but also easily accessible. In its five years of operation, the eVTOL maker has already raised over $112.6 million and is on track to broaden how we look to the skies. Its aptly-named Skydrive flying car, as the company itself terms it, is a testament to the firm's innovation now sporting an official patent application for further production.
The newest spec sheet can be viewed in SkyDrive's most recent press release, which highlights updated dimensions, takeoff weight, and operational flight range, which can reach an approximate 15km, well over its prior 5-10km potential. SkyDrive is eyeing an "airworthiness certification" by 2025 for the vehicle and a mass production and delivery estimate of 2026.
Earlier in 2023, SkyDrive also announced that it would be making its much-anticipated US debut with the introduction of a home base in South Carolina. The company is set to provide its aerial eVTOL system, specifically the SD-05, to aid South Carolina "in realizing an advanced air mobility ecosystem which will bring the state to the forefront in its ability to support commercial operations of eVTOL aircraft."
This partnership between SkyDrive and South Carolina will also help the firm gain traction in its continued efforts to obtain type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
