Suzuki Motor Corporation announced today that it has signed a basic agreement with SkyDrive Inc to manufacture “flying cars” at a Suzuki plant in Shizuoka, with the project slated to begin sometime in Spring 2024. Suzuki does have a motorcycle called the Suzuki Skydrive on sale, but that product’s going to have its two wheels firmly on the ground.

The “flying car” in this case is an eVTOL vehicle to be exact. eVTOL stands for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing. It’s a type of aircraft that uses electric power to take off, hover, and land vertically. eVTOL vehicles have several advantages, primarily due to their electric power systems.

They can be quieter, more efficient, and produce less pollution than traditional aircraft. They’re also capable of vertical take-off and landing, which makes them well-suited to operating in urban areas or other locations where space is limited.

However, there are also significant challenges in eVTOL design and implementation, including battery life, safety, air traffic management, and regulatory issues.

SkyDrive is a Japanese firm based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The SkyDrive eVTOL vehicle measures about 13m x 13m including rotors and will weight about 1,400 kg. How many rotors does it have? A whopping 12 of them!

It can carry a total of 3 – 1 pilot and up to 2 passengers. Operational flight range is said to be 15 km, and it can cruise at a top speed of 100 km/h.