Suzuki has announced a partnership with SkyDrive to develop a vertical takeoff and landing electric vehicle. We won't have to wait long to see Suzuki's new flying car take to the skies, with potential plans to launch the vehicle as part of an air taxi service in Osaka by 2025.
For Suzuki, the partnership will add "flying cars" as a fourth mode of transportation, alongside cars, motorcycles, and outboard motors, according to a joint statement. SkyDrive is currently working on developing a compact two-seat electric flying car with plans for mass production, but the statement did not mention whether Suzuki will specifically work on this vehicle.
The company, which is also developing drone cargo aircraft, aims to launch the "flying car" service in Osaka in 2025, coinciding with the city's hosting of the World Expo. In their joint statement, both companies indicated that they will also work on opening new markets with an initial focus on India, where Suzuki holds nearly half of the automotive market share. Suzuki plans to invest 104.4 billion rupees (1.37 billion dollars) in its Indian plant to produce electric vehicles and batteries.
Suzuki and SkyDrive will face stiff competition from several major players, each with their science fiction-inspired vision for creating a new form of urban transportation that intersects between an electric autonomous vehicle and a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.
