TOKYO: Japan’s SkyDrive Inc., sometimes referred to as a “flying car” manufacturer, announced on Thursday that it is accepting orders from private citizens.

SkyDrive refers to itself as the maker of vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft and is now accepting pre-orders for its eVTOL aircraft SD-05.

CHIBA Kotaro, a licensed pilot and the first owner of a HondaJet in Japan, became the first private customer of a SkyDrive SD-05.

SkyDrive has focused on developing its business-to-business pre-order sales since it unveiled the design of the SD-05 in September 2022. Also on Thursday, SkyDrive announced that Vietnamese developer Pacific Group had agreed to pre-order up to 100 SD-05 aircraft, with 10 confirmed pre-orders and an option on 90 more aircraft.

Chiba became the first shareholder of SkyDrive in November 2018 through DRONE FUND, a venture capital firm that focuses on drone technology and the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry.

“In 2018, I was captivated by SkyDrive’s vision of the future and its innovative aircraft, fueling my dream of flying cars,” Chiba said. “Upon seeing the company’s first prototype, I was convinced that my dream was finally within reach and Ienthusiastically made the decision to invest in SkyDrive.”

FUKUZAWA Tomohiro, the founder and CEO of SkyDrivecommented: “Since we unveiled the design of our SD-05 in September 2022, we have received numerous inquiries, not onlyfrom companies but also from private individuals. As we aim to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation, we understand that it is important that we have an option for individuals to own their own aircraft.”

The SkyDrive SD-05 is a two-seat, electric-powered compact aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. SkyDrive is in the process of acquiring a type certificate for the SD-05 from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.