When cars fly. You won’t see that phrase used for too much longer if Tokyo-based SkyDrive does what it promises by delivering its flying car as a taxi service by the year 2023 and a fully autonomous flying car for purchase by the public as early as 2028. CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa isn’t messing around, either. His eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) is a battery-powered flying car that has a footprint that’s as small as two conventional parking spaces. The two-seat SD-XX is driven by propellers at all four corners and permits a 62 mph flying speed. It’s not a pipe dream either. The SD-XX became the first flying car to achieve Japan’s first outdoor manned flight in December of 2019. The project also happens to have sponsorship from the likes of NEC Corp and Panasonic. The benefits of such a vehicle would be to provide safety and convenience, reduce conventional traffic, and to provide transport to and from hard-to-reach locations during emergencies. Eventually, the goal for SkyDrive is for vehicles like the SD-XX to become mainstream, and it has the backing of the Japanese government, to boot.
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