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Courtesy of SkyDrive Inc. Rendering of SkyDrive’s SD-05
The Yomiuri Shimbun
10:42 JST, April 15, 2023
SkyDrive Inc. has begun sales of its flying vehicle to individuals, the startup based in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, announced Thursday.
The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft costs $1.5 million, or about ¥200 million. Deliveries will start in 2025 or later.
The SD-05 is expected to be put into practical use at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. It will carry two passengers — a pilot and a passenger — and has a maximum flying range of about 10 kilometers. The price includes the batteries, but the cost of operation and maintenance will be charged separately.
There is no clear definition of a flying car, and the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry assumes such a vehicle would be “electric driven and capable of autopilot and vertical takeoff and landing.”
Flying vehicles are expected to be a next-generation means of transportation due to their highly flexible takeoff and landing locations.
Manufacturers must obtain a type certificate, or an endorsement of safety, to deliver their aircraft, and the ministry has currently obtained applications from SkyDrive and three U.S. or European companies. Ensuring safe operational control is a challenge for widespread use of flying cars.
