FutureFlight
SkyDrive Launches Production of SD-05 eVTOL Prototype
SkyDrive and its partner Suzuki have begun building the first prototypes of the three-seat SD-05 eVTOL air taxi in Iwata City, Japan.
The Sky Works team poses for a photo in the factory where it is building the SD-05 eVTOL aircraft.
SkyDrive and Suzuki held a first riveting ceremony to mark the production launch of the first SD-05 eVTOL air taxi prototypes at the manufacturing facility in Iwata. Suzuki Motor Corp. president Toshihiro Suzuki, Sky Works president Nobuo Kishi, and SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa attended the ceremony along with the full Sky Works team. (Photo: SkyDrive)

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. 

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