(ORDO NEWS) — The Japanese government is investing in the development of flying cars with the aim of commercializing the futuristic form of transport as early as 2023.
A number of flying car concepts are being developed around the world, primarily by companies such as Airbus, Boeing and Uber.
The dream of covering shorter distances in vehicles capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) is alive and well, and this is especially true in Japan.
Japan’s SkyDrive, one of the newest flying car startups, recently unveiled the SD-XX, a sleek two-seat eVTOL the size of a car with a range of tens of kilometers at 100 km / h.
The company hopes to complete its first tests this summer, according to the Japan Times .
“We are considering launching an air taxi service in major cities like Osaka or Tokyo with flights over the sea, as it would be too risky to fly over populated cities,” said SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, a former Toyota engineer.
The startup plans to start flying to various resorts, including Universal Studios Japan. “The initial model will mostly fly on autopilot, but it is not 100% autonomous because the pilot will need to maneuver, for example in an emergency,” Fukuzawa said.
According to the CEO, the startup’s goal is to sell at least 100 cars by 2028, each at the price of an “expensive car.”
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