The race to develop flying cars has reached a climax, and demonstration experiments are underway around the world. Meanwhile, in August 2020, SkyDrive succeeded in the public test of manned flight by cutting the top of the Japanese group. Now that practical application has entered the countdown stage, what phase is the development and commercialization process of flying cars in Japan? We spoke with CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa about the latest global trends, actual use cases, and future prospects.


“The commercialization of flying cars is just around the corner. We are also proceeding with development toward commercialization in fiscal 2023,” says Tomohiro Fukuzawa of SkyDrive.

Flying cars have three features: (1) Low cost and low noise because they are electric, (2) Easy to drive and capable of self-driving, and (3) Vertical take-off and landing, enabling point-to-point movement and compact infrastructure. Aggregated. By taking advantage of these features, Mr. Fukuzawa says, "I want to aim for a world where people can travel in less time, safely, and as they wish, even in areas where infrastructure has not yet been developed."

Of course, Japan is no exception. In August 2020, SkyDrive succeeded in a public test of manned flight for the first time in Japan, demonstrating its presence as a top runner in this area.

“Flying cars will probably start selling from 2022 to 2024. It is said that the market size will eventually expand to about one-third of the automobile market. If battery technology evolves to extend cruising range, and if regulations and social acceptance issues are cleared, I think the use of flying cars will continue to spread,” says Mr. Fukuzawa.

The flying cars currently under development are broadly divided into two types: large aircraft and small aircraft. The former is an airframe measuring 10m square and weighing more than 3 tons. The latter, on the other hand, is compact with a size of 3m square and a weight of 0.6 tons.

Large aircraft have a cruising range of 100 to 300 km, while small aircraft have a short range of 20 to 30 km.In Japan and Asia, compact aircraft that can be used on a daily basis and can take off and land on the roofs of buildings will become popular. On the other hand, in Europe and the United States, where land is large and travel distances are long, the development and introduction of large aircraft will progress. Right now, development is proceeding while working hard between these two categories.”


Currently, it is said that there are 200 to 300 flying car project candidates in the world. However, only about 10 cases have reached the manned test, and the reality is that only one Japanese company, SkyDrive.

In 2019, the company built a 10,000 m2 development base in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. In August 2020, it succeeded in the first public test of manned flight in Japan. In the future, if it acquires certification based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Aviation Law and is recognized as being as safe as Airbus and Boeing, it will be possible to carry out manned flights with ordinary passengers.

The service is scheduled to start in 2023. Taking advantage of the compact size of the SkyDrive, Mr. Fukuzawa enthusiastically said, "We want to create an aircraft that can take off and land in a space about the size of a convenience store parking lot, and aim for a world where the sky is overwhelmingly accessible."




https://www.boudy-technology.tn/2022/08/%20flying-cars-will-take%20-Japan.html?m=1

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