Suzuki has started producing flying cars

On June 20, 2023, Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor announced the signing of an agreement with SkyDrive to produce flying cars. Under the terms of the contract, the partners will use Suzuki's plant in central Japan to produce electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and plan to begin production by around spring 2024.

Suzuki Motor announced that it has already received orders for the first tranches of eVTOL, which will be aimed at supporting cargo and similar logistics operations. The company did not say who the customer is.

Suzuki Motor to produce flying cars

SkyDrive will create a wholly owned subsidiary for aircraft production, and Suzuki will help with production preparations, including the search for talented specialists, SkyDrive said.

According to the analytical company Revolution Aero, the global market for eVTOL will reach approximately $8.5 billion by 2025, and it is expected that by 2030 it will grow to $30.8 billion. There are 400 different eVTOL concepts from more than 240 companies and startups worldwide, so many are still waiting for their first orders. The report says the first deliveries are expected from 2024, with the bulk of deliveries coming in 2026. At the same time, the main share of about 1940 orders falls on organizations from the USA, 1,000 eVTOL should be delivered to Canada, more than 600 are intended for Europe and more than 370 for Asia.

SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, central Japan, with Itochu Trading House, technology firm NEC and a division of energy company Eneos Holdings among the company's major shareholders.

Earlier, Suzuki Motor and SkyDrive also signed an agreement to join forces in the research, development and marketing of flying cars, Reuters reported.^[1]

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