SkyDrive

SkyDrive is a Japanese air mobility company that develops electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and cargo drones. It was founded in July 2018 and has its head office in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.

What the company builds

SkyDrive's work began with small single-seat multicopter demonstrators. The SD-02 made its first test flight in August 2020, and the company has since worked on a tandem two-seat design, the SD-XX, which is presented with an enclosed glass-covered cabin for air taxi use. Published figures for that concept include a maximum flight speed of 100 km/h and a flight duration of 20 to 30 minutes. Alongside the passenger aircraft, SkyDrive produces cargo drones for industrial transport tasks.

Where things stand

The company is led by chief executive Tomohiro Fukuzawa, with Nobuo Kishi as chief technology officer. In 2022 SkyDrive established a manufacturing partnership with Suzuki. The passenger programme remains in development rather than in commercial service, and the company has not announced a type certificate for its aircraft.