Akihabara News (Tokyo) — On October 29, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) announced that it had accepted a “type certificate” application submitted by SkyDrive for its SD-03 model eVTOL (flying car).
A type certificate certifies that the design, structure, strength, and performance of a newly-developed aircraft meets the necessary safety and environmental requirements for each type of aircraft. Certification is only granted after the aircraft had gone through a battery of studies and tests, including strength tests and flight tests.
This is the first time that MLIT has accepted an application for a type certificate for a flying car.
SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa stated, “SkyDrive and MLIT have been discussing how to safely develop and test this type of aircraft since the public-private council to promote urban air mobility was launched in Japan in 2018 and SkyDrive received permission for the first outdoor test flight of its flying car. We are very pleased that our application for type certification has been accepted and we will continue to work in close partnership with the government and MLIT to complete our development of a wholly safe and reliable flying car.”
The Tokyo-based eVTOL startup aims to make its full debut at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
Separately, SkyDrive has also announced that it has signed a supporter agreement with Tokyo-based EY Strategy and Consulting.
Under this agreement, EY’s team of consultants will support SkyDrive in a broad range of areas, including conducting research on domestic and international markets and competitors; designing business strategies, roadmaps, and business plans; and developing products and services.
Founded in 2018 by Toyota engineers, SkyDrive has been developing flying cars and drones with its company’s mission of “revolutionizing mobility.”
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