Japanese “flying car” developer SkyDrive has started building the first prototype of its three-seat SD-05 eVTOL aircraft. On March 7, the company announced it has started assembling the first parts in a joint operation with automotive manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation, through a subsidiary called Sky Works. Suzuki is providing space at its factory in Iwata City in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture and according to SkyDrive, the site will have the capacity to assemble up to 100 aircraft per year.

“This facility allows us to produce high-quality eVTOLs efficiently and effectively, ensuring we meet the needs of our customers,” said Sky Works president Nobuo Kishi. 

SkyDrive aims to achieve provisional airworthiness approval for the SD-05 aircraft in time for the 2025 Osaka World Expo, where it plans to conduct public flight demonstrations. The company is not disclosing initial production rates or the number of prototypes it aims to manufacture before certification. A SkyDrive spokesperson told AIN that “our initial focus is to build an aircraft for Expo in order to acquire an appropriate authorization/permit to fly.”

The company is working to obtain a type certificate from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and expects to have the vehicle in service by 2026 when it will launch full-scale serial production. SkyDrive also plans to certify the aircraft with the U.S. FAA, and it has signed provisional sales agreements with operators in other Asian markets, including Vietnam.

SkyDrive employees prepare the Iwata City manufacturing facility for the launch of SD-05 production. (Photo: SkyDrive)

The first prototypes that come off the production line in Iwata City will be used for the SD-05 flight test campaign. Although the three-seat SD-05 model is not yet flight-proven, the company has been flying its full-scale SD-03 model since 2020. It expects to begin flying the first SD-05 prototype sometime this year, the spokesperson told AIN.

The battery-powered SD-05 aircraft is a multicopter with 12 electric motors mounted to an overhead boom assembly. It is designed to carry a pilot plus two passengers up to 15 kilometers (9 miles) on a single charge, with a maximum cruise speed of 100 kph (62 mph).

Eventually SkyDrive aims to introduce an autonomous version of the aircraft that would free up space for one additional passenger in place of the on-board pilot, but it doesn’t foresee that happening until the 2030s. 

While SkyDrive’s eVTOL is primarily intended for commercial air taxi and aerial tourism operations, the company has begun accepting pre-orders from private customers. It is also exploring emergency medical applications for the aircraft.