Suzuki has signed a partnership agreement with Japanese flying car designer named SkyDrive to assist it with bringing its prototypes into mass production and expanding to other markets, notably including India.
SkyDrive specializes in private VTOLs (Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircrafts). In turn, Suzuki makes cars, motorcycles and assorted recreational equipment. The startup aims to use its expertise to launch its first flying taxi into the air at the World Exposition 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
In earlier news, Suzuki mentioned an intention to invest around $1 billion USD into an India-based car factory specializing in EVs and their traction batteries. The agreement signed today does not explicitly mention this factory, but it is worth mentioning because SkyDrive uses electric powertrains for its VTOLs.
In an official comment to the media, the startup was praised as Japan’s main developer of aerial cars. A couple of years ago, the company showed functional prototypes (see video). They were essentially designed as single-seat pods carried by eight propellers and lacking any kind of wheels.
SkyDrive claims it has already wrapped up flight tests and obtained all the necessary clearances. It is now also working on a larger, two-seat VTOL with flight time extended from 10 to 30 minutes.