TOYOTA, Japan, September 15, 2023 – SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), the leading eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, and Solyu Company, Ltd. (hereinafter “Solyu”), an aircraft leasing company specializing in zero-emission in Korea, announced that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Solyu has agreed to pre-order of up to 50 SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft “SKYDRIVE” (*2).
SkyDrive is currently developing a three-seater electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft called “SKYDRIVE.” Its eVTOL is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification (*3).
Solyu is a lessor based in Korea run by team with decades of experience in the aircraft leasing and finance industry with a focus on providing customers with zero emissions vehicles such as eVTOL, eCTOL (*4), and eSTOL (*5).
In Korea, the metropolitan area faces a problem of severe traffic congestion, and the Korean government formed the Korea Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Roadmap, expecting that the time and social costs can be reduced by 70%. The government also promotes the plan for public-private joint demonstration project, the K-UAM Grand Challenge (*6).
Solyu believes it is important to promote the use of electric, zero-emission vehicles in Korea to accelerate the K-UAM goal and agreed on the pre-order of SkyDrive eVTOL.
SkyDrive and Solyu continue to evaluate commercial eVTOL considerations such as vertiports, routes, infrastructure requirements, and ecosystems with the Korean government and other interested stakeholders to launch new mobility solutions in Korea.
Comment by Mr. Andrew Claerbout, Solyu Company, Ltd. President
“The eVTOL market will bring opportunities for reducing global emissions and increasing traveler convenience. We’re honored to work with SkyDrive and the award-winning SD-05 to develop this global market.”
Comment by Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive Inc. CEO
“We are pleased to announce that we received a pre-order in Korea following Vietnam and the U.S. This is the first preorder from a leasing company, and we are very grateful to be able to proceed with the Solyu team with extensive experience in the aircraft leasing industry. We look forward to working with Solyu to open up the Korean market and contribute to achieve the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the Korean aviation sector.”
About SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft “SKYDRIVE”
The SKYDRIVE is a three-seat, electric-powered lightweight aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Flown by a pilot, its flight stability is enhanced with the assistance of a fly-by-wire control system. The SKYDRIVE is being developed with the vision of realizing a world where they are used in daily life for air mobility much as automobiles are used for daily ground transportation.
About Solyu Company, Ltd.
Solyu is an aircraft leasing company focused on providing customers with the newest technology, zero emissions vehicles. The team at Solyu is highly experienced with decades of experience in aircraft leasing and finance industry.
Solyu is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Andrew Claerbout is the President of the company.
For more information, please visit: https://solyu.com/
About SkyDrive Inc.
SkyDrive was formally established in July 2018 after testing flying car concepts and prototypes since 2014 with the mission of “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.” Its vision is to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world. The company succeeded in the first crewed flight test in Japan in 2019 and its eVTOL SKYDRIVE is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification. SkyDrive has been selected as a company to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi. Tomohiro Fukuzawa is the CEO of the company.
For more information, please visit: https://en.skydrive2020.com/
Editor’s Note:
(*1) “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric vertical takeoff and landing. eVTOL aircraft are characterized by electrification, a fully autonomous autopilot, and vertical takeoff and landing. It is also called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) or Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
(*2) “SKYDRIVE” is a product name of SkyDrive Model SD-05. Model SD-05 is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification.
Related press release: https://en.skydrive2020.com/archives/7336
(*3) Related press release: https://en.skydrive2020.com/archives/7336
(*4) “eCTOL” is an abbreviation for electric conventional takeoff landing.
(*5) “eSTOL” is an abbreviation for electric short takeoff and landing.
(*6) UAM Grand Challenge Korea http://en.kuam-gc.kr/
Contact:
Risa Oishi
Public Relations
SkyDrive Inc.
Email: info@skydrive.co.jp