The Japanese government wants to see flying vehicles over the city by 2023 by investing in the startup SkyDrive, among other things.
Our means of transport have changed over time, but the shifts have been quite rare. The “car” was first seen as a faster horse-drawn carriage, before an infrastructure was developed around cars and trucks. In the same way, it is probably wrong to use the term “flying cars” about what is now taking shape.
Aircraft manufacturers paved the way with so-called VTOL aircraft, which take off and land vertically – like a helicopter. The drones, on the other hand, have taken the technology further and created smaller flying vehicles that use the latest technology in terms of batteries, navigation and AI. This has given rise to the concept of eVTOL.
The company SkyDrive was started in late 2018 and has gotten investors investing in them. SkyDrive demonstrated its solution with manned, environmentally friendly flights in December 2019, just over a year after the company was founded.
In parallel with real tests, of course, a large number of simulations take place – one is keen to become one of the optional alternatives when the Japanese state gives the green light to the projects it wants to support. Maybe it will look something like this ?
The operations manager for SkyDrive, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, says in an interview in the Japan Times that they want to launch a vehicle aimed at the public by 2018. The price? Like a car in the upper price range. You can learn more about the team behind SkyDrive here .
What do we think Boeing, Airbus, Toyota and Tesla are doing in the meantime? Hold on to your hat, it will go away …
Let the future come faster!