Arab News Japan

TOKYO: SkyDrive announced the start of production of its SKYDRIVE SD-05 aircraft at Suzuki Motor Corporation’s manufacturing plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.

SkyDrive has the aim of revolutionizing urban air mobility and delivering safer, affordable, quieter and emission-free “aerial mobility solutions.” The SD-05 could be described as a passenger-carrying drone.

The first riveting ceremony took place on Wednesday and was attended by SUZUKI Toshihiro, President of Suzuki Motor, and FUKUZAWA Tomohiro, CEO of SkyDrive, as well as employees of the manufacturing enterprise Sky Works and other representatives. The ceremony marked the beginning of production.

The establishment of Sky Works Inc., SkyDrive’s manufacturing arm, and the partnership with Suzuki will give the company the capacity to produce up to 100 eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) per year.

SkyDrive believes there will be a growing demand for urban air mobility solutions.

“Partnering with Suzuki, a renowned automotive manufacturer, is a momentous occasion for SkyDrive,” SkyDrive CEO Fukuzawa said. “It is the beginning of a new phase. We share a goal of quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, making them an ideal partner in our quest to revolutionize urban air mobility.”

SkyDrive plans to operate its eVTOL aircraft at Expo 2025 Osaka to showcase the potential of eVTOL technology to the world.

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.” Its vision is to create “a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world.”

The company succeeded in the first crewed eVTOL flight test in Japan in 2019 and its eVTOL “SKYDRIVE” is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification.