Suzuki Motor Corp reaches agreement with SkyDrive Inc; new 'flying cars' to be produced in Japan

In a world far away, news of a flying car has been doing the rounds. Lately, Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp announced that it had reached an agreement with SkyDrive Inc to start manufacturing "flying cars".

The Suzuki Group factory in central Japan is tasked with making the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with the goal of starting production by next year.

SkyDrive will establish a wholly owned subsidiary to make the aircraft and Suzuki will help with preparations for the manufacturing, including securing talent, the automaker said.


Over the past few years, there has been a surge in the demand for personal transportation, driven by the desire to alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow in urban areas. Moreover, there has been a shift in transportation needs towards a more flexible "transportation as needed" approach.

Recognizing these trends, Suzuki has not only been catering to mobility requirements ranging from marine to mountainous terrains through their marine, motorcycle, and automobile businesses but also taking strategic steps to bring the vision of air mobility to life.

Headquartered in the city of Toyota in central Japan, SkyDrive has trading house Itochu Corp, tech firm NEC Corp and a unit of energy company Eneos Holdings Inc among its main shareholders.

The two companies signed a deal in March last year to team up in research, development and marketing of flying cars.