Suzuki and Slydrive aim to bring a feel of flying taxis to Japans airspace by 2025 ..
The eVTOL race is heating up with more and more companies coming together to bring this technology to reality. Most recently Suzuki one of Japan’s leading automakers
and Japanese startup SkyDrive entered into the space with the launch a fleet of air taxis named the SD-XX.
The two companies 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 and promotion of efforts to attain carbon neutrality with an aim to bring the taxi service to the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan.
SkyDrive made headlines back in 2019 with the one-seater SD-03 introduced as the world’s smallest eVTOL, measuring just 4 x 4 x 2 meters (13 x 13 x 6.5 feet).
The new SD-XX will be a two-seater flying car featuring eight propellers enabling it to fly at a maximum altitude of 500m (1,640ft) at speeds of 62 mph for 12 miles. There’s also a more efficient cruise speed option of 37 mph for up to 20 miles making it a viable commuter vehicle.
SkyDrive which was launched in 2018, is backed by Toyota, Fujitsu and Panasonic, among other tech firms.
