SkyDrive's Flying Taxi Gets Closer to Reality
Image Credit: SkyDrive.
It looks like those crazy cats over at SkyDrive are actually getting somewhere with their electric flying machine. By now, we all have seen enough concept cars to fill a stadium, most of them about as likely to fly as a brick. But this one is starting to look like it might actually happen.
SkyDrive, a name that sounds like a futuristic cloud storage service (which we'll probably need when we're all uploading our flying car selfies), has just snagged a G-1 certification in Japan for their "SKYDRIVE" eVTOL. I'm no expert in aviation jargon – I leave that to the propeller heads – but from what I gather, this is a thumbs-up from the Japanese equivalent of the FAA. And it's a big deal. Huge deal, actually.
The company even released actual photos of the thing in flight! Not just some fancy computer rendering, but the real McCoy soaring through the air. I've seen pigeons with better flight skills, but this taxi is actually flying. A proper, three-seater, electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. The future is now, or at least, it's getting much, much closer.
Image Credit: SkyDrive.
All this shebang doesn't actually mean you'll be zipping to the grocery store in your own SKYDRIVE anytime soon. They're still working on getting full certification in both Japan and the US, which, as anyone who's dealt with bureaucracy knows, can be a real pain in the posterior. They're also talking to Suzuki about manufacturing these things, which makes sense. Suzuki makes cars, and this thing is kind of like a car, but it flies. What can possibly go wrong?
The SKYDRIVE itself is a sleek-looking machine, at least from the photos. It's got those electric whirly-ma-jigs on top, you know, the ones that make it go up and down. It's about the size of a small car, which means you'll probably still have to parallel park it… in the sky. Joy. They haven't released all the specs yet, but I'm guessing it's going to be pretty pricey. Less of a "sensible sedan" and more of a "flying Lamborghini" price range.
SkyDrive is planning to show off its working eVTOL at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. They'll even be doing demonstration flights, so if you happen to be in Japan around that time, you can see it with your own eyes. Just try not to get too excited and start waving your arms like you're trying to hail a cab. You might end up on the evening news.
Image Credit: SkyDrive.
I'm still a bit skeptical, of course. I've seen too many "flying car" prototypes that never actually make it off the ground. But SkyDrive seems to be making real progress. They've got the certifications, they've got the photos, and they've got the backing of a major manufacturer. Like it or not, the day when we'll all be commuting to work in our own personal eVTOLs is getting closer. Just imagine the traffic jams in the sky!
In theory, electric flying cars or taxis could be big news for reducing emissions. Of course, they'll need to figure out how to power them sustainably, but that's a problem for another day. For now, I'm just excited to see this thing flying.
