SkyDrive SD-XX (concept design)

(Image credit: SkyDrive)

SD-XX (concept design)
SkyDrive Inc.
Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
www.skydrive.co.jp

Founded in July 2018, SkyDrive Inc. is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Tomohiro Fukuzawa is the chief executive officer and Nobuo Kishi is the chief technology officer. The mission of the company is to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution to design and produce eVTOL passenger and air cargo aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). According to a SkyDrive article on April 6, 2023, its cumulative funding has now exceeded ¥15 billion yen.

The company's goals is to make eVTOL aircraft safer than conventional aircraft, less costly, less noisy, autonomous and that require less infrastructure. The plan is to start using the aircraft in the mid-2020s for air transportation of goods and people in areas where conventional public transportation is slow or almost nonexistent in rural and urban areas. The company's vision is to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOL aircraft as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world.

Brief history
A brief history of the company starts in September 2012 when Tomohiro Fukuzawa formed a volunteer group automotive, drone and aviation industry professionals, who would meet outside of business hours and started discussions by first stating "Let's do something interesting". Based on Fukuzawa's automotive background, he asked the group a fundamental question, "How do people move?" Eventually, more than 100 ideas were talked about, such as cars which could also be submarines to small enough cars that could move from room to room, inside a building.

After a year and a half of discussions in 2013, the group decided on flying cars. The company they formed was called Cartivator. The company name was created by combining the word car and cultivate with the definition of cultivate being more towards the word pioneer. As the business matured, it became difficult to continue with volunteer workers. This is why in July 2018, about 30 people from Cartivator founded SkyDrive Inc. The company originally had plans to make a flying car, a vehicle that can fly in the "Sky" and "Drive" on the road, hence the name SkyDrive. However, the company is only making eVTOL passenger aircraft at this time.

SD-XX autonomous piloted two passenger eVTOL aircraft (concept design)
The SD-XX is an autonomous piloted two passenger eVTOL aircraft and ground vehicle. The concept design aircraft has an estimated flying cruise speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and an expected flight range of 20 km (12 miles). The predicted driving cruise speed is 60 km/h (37 mph) and has a calculated driving range 20-30 km (12-19 miles). The aircraft is powered by battery packs. As battery technology increases, the range and duration of the vehicle will increase.

When looking carefully, the SkyDrive SD-XX, has its propellers under the fuselage and the previous Cartivator SkyDrive (concept design) air and ground vehicle had its propellers protected by propeller shields and were outside of the fuselage.

SkyDrive started uncrewed test flights in December 2018. In the spring of 2020, the company has confirmed it has been flight testing its full scale eVTOL prototype using pilots since December 2019 through March 2020. Since flight testing began in 2018, the company has clocked a grand total of flying over 1,000 crewed and uncrewed prototype flights. The flight testing has verified the aircraft can be controlled and be stabilized in gusty wind conditions. After the company is satisfied with this round of flight testing, they will build another full scale prototype for more flight tests with crewed and uncrewed flights.

The SkyDrive aircraft has several safety features. One feature is distributed electric propulsion (DEP), which provides safety through redundancy for its passengers. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. Another safety feature is shock-absorbing seating developed by Cartivator and SkyDrive.

SkyDrive foresees their flying car to be marketed as a ride-sharing air taxi service for advanced air mobility and also sold to individuals as a personal air vehicle. In addition, the company see their aircraft extremely useful for emergency transportation and emergency services. The company is also developing a cargo drone for urban air cargo delivery.

The company’s goal is to have their passenger eVTOL certified with multiple government aviation authorities and to begin selling the aircraft in 2025.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Autonomous passenger eVTOL aircraft and ground vehicle (concept design)
• Piloting: Autonomous
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Flight cruise speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
• Flight range: 20 km (12 m)
• Driving cruise speed: 60 km/h (37 mph)
• Driving range: 20-30 km (12-19 m)
• Flight altitude ~500 m (1,640 ft)
• Maximum take-off weight: 500 kg (1,102 lb)
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Power source: Batteries
• Windows: Panoramic window spectacular views
• Vehicle size: Length 4.0 m (13 ft) x Width 3.5 m (11.5 ft) x Height 1.5 m (5 ft). The vehicle is similar in size as a medium size car.
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. Crash resistant seating.

Related Aircraft:

• Cartivator SkyDrive (concept design)
• Cartivator SkyDrive (technology demonstrator)
• SkyDrive SD-01 (technology demonstrator)
• SkyDrive SD-02 (technology demonstrator)
• SkyDrive SD-03 (technology demonstrator)
• SkyDrive SD-05 (concept design)
• SkyDrive SD-05 (prototype)
• SkyDrive SkyLift (cargo drone)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn

Resources:

• SkyDrive website
• SkyDrive Facebook
• SkyDrive X (Formerly Twitter)
• SkyDrive YouTube
• SkyDrive Instagram
• SkyDrive LinkedIn
• Video: SkyDrive Members 2019, SkyDrive, Sept. 16, 2019
• Article: SkyDrive secures new financing for flying car development, Vertical Magazine, Oct. 1, 2019
• Video: Future World with SkyDrive 2030, SkyDrive, Mar. 5, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive confirms manned flight tests, appoints Nobuo Kishi as CTO, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 4, 2020
• Article: Tomohiro Fukuzawa: SkyDrive’s product is a flying car, Weekly Economist, Apr. 6. 2020
• Article: SkyDrive claims Japan’s first manned multirotor flight, New Atlas, Apr. 14, 2020
• Article: Japan’s SkyDrive advances ‘compact air mobility’, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 15, 2020
• Article: Former Toyotamen are taking on the challenge of the “Flying car dream”, President Online, Apr. 17, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Completes First Manned Flying Car Test In Japan, CleanTechnica, Apr. 20, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Appoints Kishi as CTO, Electric VTOL News, Apr. 30, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Completes Japan’s First Manned eVTOL Test Flights, Electric VTOL News, May 3, 2020