SkyDrive
"SkyDrive for Everyone"
Japanese eVTOL maker pursuing Japan's first flying-car type cert; SD-05 three-seater demo-flew at Osaka Expo 2025.
SkyDrive Inc. is a Japanese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company operating under the domain skydrive2020.com. The company is focused on developing and commercializing flying cars for urban air mobility (UAM).
SkyDrive's development pipeline encompasses three aircraft models. The SD-03 is a two-seat test aircraft that completed Japan's first publicly witnessed manned flight test at SkyDrive's Toyota, Aichi test field in August 2020. It employs a counter-rotating propeller configuration — eight propellers arranged at four positions with dual counter-rotation — providing sufficient lift for a human passenger within a compact footprint. The maximum take-off weight is approximately 400 kg. The SD-XX is the company's long-term concept: a compact two-seat door-to-door air mobility vehicle capable of taking off and landing in tight urban spaces such as convenience store parking lots or building rooftops, and also featuring ground-driving capability for last-mile flexibility. The SKYDRIVE (SD-05) is the current commercial program — a three-seat aircraft under active development and type certification. In October 2021, SkyDrive became the first company to have a type certification application for a flying car accepted by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). In June 2024, SkyDrive commenced certification activities with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), targeting US type certification after Japanese approval. The SD-05 conducted public demo flights at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo Media Day on April 9, 2025 and at the opening ceremony. Osaka Metro unveiled an OSAKAKO Vertiport for eVTOL at Expo 2025 in connection with SkyDrive's operations.
The company's technical differentiator is a patent-pending dome-shaped rotor frame with curved rotor placement, improving aerodynamic efficiency and safety. SkyDrive's business strategy targets vertiport-integrated intra-city mobility, with vertical airports deployable throughout urban environments.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
SKYDRIVE SD-05
Three-seat commercial eVTOL under JCAB and FAA type certification, publicly demonstrated at Osaka-Kansai World Expo 2025.
SkyDrive SD-03
- Model: SD-03
- Launch Year: 2020
Two-seat eVTOL test aircraft that completed Japan's first publicly witnessed manned flight in August 2020.
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Company Facts
Founded
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Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
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Primary Region
Asia-Pacific
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Funding Stage
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