SkyDrive introduces production subsidiary in Suzuki’s plant in Iwata City to make up to 100 eVTOLs per year

SkyDrive, a leading Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, is pleased to announce the continual progress between the Suzuki Motor Corporation (“Suzuki”) and SkyDrive strategic partnership since the collaboration agreement on the sharing of business and technology in March 2022. This was successfully followed by the basic agreement on manufacturing in June 2023.

The SkyDrive Manufacturing Plant

SkyDrive established a Production Subsidiary on September 1, 2023, for the production of its "SKYDRIVE (also known as the SD-05)”. The plant, owned by Suzuki, will be used to produce up to 100 potential eVTOLs per year and is slated to begin in the Spring of 2024.

Business Development in India

SkyDrive and Suzuki have been collaborating in areas of business and technology R&D, planning of manufacturing and mass production systems, and development of overseas markets with an initial focus on India as well.

Concerning its market development in India, SkyDrive is developing suitability use cases in India in areas where tourists visit historical buildings along rivers or by the sea. These routes are travelled by Indian religious pilgrims crossing mountains and rivers.

To address serious social mobility and health issues, such as air pollution caused by excessive CO2 and daily urban congestion emissions, SkyDrive continues to discuss with local stakeholders how to contribute to the mobility revolution. This ties in with the decade-long achievements made by Suzuki in India and works to deliver on the potential of our UAM eVTOL future.

SkyDrive reaches agreement with Suzuki to build eVTOL aircraft

SkyDrive, a leading Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer announced at The Paris Air Show 2023, it had signed a basic agreement deal with Suzuki Motor Corporation for cooperation in manufacturing the SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft. 

SkyDrive will establish a wholly owned subsidiary (hereinafter "the manufacturing subsidiary") for the purpose of manufacturing its eVTOL aircraft "SKYDRIVE." With Suzuki, the manufacturing subsidiary will utilize a production facility owned by the Suzuki Group in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and aims to start building the SkyDrive "SKYDRIVE" eVTOL aircraft by spring of 2024. Suzuki will also cooperate with the manufacturing subsidiary in securing human resources and making other preparations for the start of manufacturing. More specific terms and conditions will be agreed upon through ongoing discussions.

The "SKYDRIVE" eVTOL aircraft, to be built at Suzuki's production facility, is a three-seat, electric-powered lightweight aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

Comment by Toshihiro Suzuki, Suzuki Motor Corporation President "We are excited to cooperate with SkyDrive as we ambitiously work towards creating valuable products that contribute to the realization of a world where people use the sky for their daily transportation."

Comment by Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive Inc. CEO "At Suzuki, all manufacturing activities are based on a concept, 'Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter, and Neater,' and SkyDrive is developing lightweight air mobilities. Suzuki and SkyDrive have been collaborating since March 2022 and we are very excited that SkyDrive will utilize the production facility of Suzuki to build our eVTOL 'SKYDRIVE.' In our pursuit to consistently manufacture safe and high-quality aircraft for the world, we are grateful for the valuable know-how we will learn from Suzuki, a global leader in automobile mass production. Suzuki and SkyDrive will work closely towards the shared goal."

SkyDrive was formally established in July 2018 after testing flying car concepts and prototypes from 2014 with the mission of "taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution." Its vision is to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world.