SkyDrive Established a Production Subsidiary in Iwata City to Produce up to 100 eVTOLs per Year Utilizing Suzuki’s Plant
SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading Japanese eVTOL aircraft (*1) 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, referenced below (*2).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231010484155/en/
A Plant to Manufacture SKYDRIVE (in Iwata-city, Shizuoka owned by Suzuki-Group) (Photo: Business Wire)
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)” (*3). 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.
• Company Name: | Sky Works Inc. | |
• Location: | Iwata-city, Shizuoka | |
• Representative: | Nobuo Kishi, President | |
• Capital: | 1 million yen | |
• Establishment Date: | September 1, 2023 |
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 traveled 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.
Exhibition at JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023
Come and see SkyDrive exhibiting its 1/5 scaled SKYDRIVE (SD-05) at the JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023 (*4), at Suzuki’s booth. Alongside, SkyDrive will also exhibit the full-size SD-03 Mock-Up in the Tokyo Future Tour exhibition as one of the leading symbols representing the future mobility we will achieve.
• Duration: | Saturday, October 28 ~ Sunday, November 5 | |
• Location: | Tokyo Big Site | |
• URL: |
About SkyDrive Inc.
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. The company succeeded in the first crewed flight test in Japan in 2019 and its eVTOL “SKYDRIVE” is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification. SkyDrive has been selected as a company to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. Tomohiro Fukuzawa is the CEO of the company.
For more information, please visit: https://en.skydrive2020.com/
Editor’s Note: | ||
(*1) | “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric vertical takeoff and landing. eVTOL aircraft are characterized by electrification, a fully autonomous autopilot, and vertical takeoff and landing. It is also called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) or Urban Air Mobility (UAM). | |
(*2) | Related press release about collaboration agreement on business and technology in March 2022 | |
Related press release about basic agreement on manufacturing in June 2023 | ||
(*3) | “SKYDRIVE” is a product name of SkyDrive Model SD-05. Model SD-05 is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification. | |
(*4) | Press Day: October 25 and 26, 2023, Public Day: October 28 to November 5, 2023 | |
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231010484155/en/
Contact information
Yoshimi Yamamoto
Public Relations
SkyDrive Inc.
Email: info@skydrive.co.jp
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Suzano Starts Up New Production Line, Boosting Its Fluff Pulp Capacity by 400%17.12.2025 21:50:00 CET | Press Release
Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, has commenced operations this week at its new fluff pulp production line located in its Limeira unit in Brazil’s São Paulo state. This R$490 million investment increases Suzano’s total fluff pulp production capacity by more than 400%, from 100,000 to 440,000 tonnes per year. The project involved converting the existing pulp line at the Limeira unit into a flexible machine, capable of producing both Eucafluff® and market pulp. Eucafluff® is used in the production of absorbent and personal hygiene products, such as baby and adult diapers, sanitary pads and pet pads. Then market pulp is supplied for making products including toilet paper, printing and writing papers, and paper packaging. Launched in 2015, Eucafluff® is the world’s first fluff pulp made from eucalyptus, delivering unique advantages like enhanced softness and flexibility, which translate into thinner, more discreet and comfortable products. Its high compression capability enables s
SES Acknowledges Moody’s Rating Action and Reiterates Deleveraging Commitments17.12.2025 21:36:00 CET | Press Release
SES S.A. (“SES” or the “Company”), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Moody’s Investor Service today, which follows the release of SES’ Q3 2025 results and Intelsat integration update. SES management reiterates that the Company continues to execute on its strategy with a clear plan to strengthen its key credit metrics over time. Consistent with this plan, it remains management’s intention to de-lever and return to credit metrics that are commensurate with investment grade, with a policy objective of reducing adjusted net leverage1 to at least 3.0x or below. Today’s rating action does not change the Company’s ability to operate its business, serve customers, or execute its strategic plan. SES maintains a balanced weighted average debt maturity profile of approximately five years, and the rating action from Moody’s is not expected to have a material impact on the interest payable under the Company’s existing debt facilities. SES also ben
Picsart and Zazzle Power the Creator-to-Commerce Evolution with Print-On-Demand Integration17.12.2025 20:47:00 CET | Press Release
Picsart, the world’s leading digital creation platform with over two billion downloads and more than 100 million monthly active users, is partnering with Zazzle, the global leader in customized products and designs, to deliver an end-to-end printing solution for Picsart users. The new “vibe-design-to-print” integration works seamlessly with Picsart’s recently expanded suite of AI products, including AI Assistant and Flows, enabling creators to ideate, iterate, design, and bring their work to life as physical art and products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217882832/en/ Picsart and Zazzle Power the Creator-to-Commerce Evolution with Print-On-Demand Integration “At Picsart, our mission has always been to give creators the tools they need to bring their ideas to life,” said Hovhannes Avoyan, Founder and CEO of Picsart. “As we enter what we believe will be the year of the creative entrepreneur, creators are i
Inspiring Leadership Recognised: Anna Byrne Named Finalist at CIPD 2026 HR Awards17.12.2025 19:58:00 CET | Press Release
ProAmpac, a global leader in flexible packaging and material science, is proud to announce that Anna Byrne has been selected as a finalist in the “Most Inspirational and Impactful Leader” category at the CIPD 2026 HR Awards in Ireland. This recognition highlights Anna’s exceptional leadership, her unwavering commitment to people-first practices, and her meaningful influence across the organisation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217690526/en/ The CIPD HR Awards in Ireland The CIPD HR Awards highlight the people profession’s crucial role in driving strategy, leading transformation, and enabling organisations to thrive. Overseen by CIPD Ireland and supported by independent academic expertise, the awards celebrate innovation, integrity, and impact within modern HR practice. This year, the awards introduce four new categories, including the “Most Inspirational and Impactful Leader” award, reflecting the evolvi
GeologicAI Announces Acquisition of Lumo Analytics to Complete Its Integrated Sensor Suite Across Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements17.12.2025 17:53:00 CET | Press Release
GeologicAI, the global leader in High-Resolution Decision Engineering for the critical minerals sector, today announced its acquisition of Lumo Analytics, a provider of the most compact and efficient Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) scanner in the market. LIBS is a rapid, non-destructive technique that uses a high-energy laser pulse to vaporize a tiny spot on a rock, creating a short-lived plasma which emits light unique to the elements present when it cools. This spectral “fingerprint” provides immediate chemical information about the material. For the mining sector, this means faster geochemical insights directly at the source, enabling more efficient exploration and resource evaluation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217715846/en/ The transaction firmly cements GeologicAI’s position as the only truly comprehensive and integrated source of sensor data for the critical minerals industry. Buildi
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom