--- title: "Flying Cars Are Actually, Finally Becoming a Reality in Japan" description: "Japan is investing in the development of flying cars, aiming to commercialize by 2023. Find out more about the Japanese startup SkyDive." date: "2020-08-12" modified: "2020-08-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/flying-cars-are-actually-finally-becoming-a-reality-in-japan" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "boeing" - "flying car" - "flying cars" - "Japan" - "the digest" --- # Flying Cars Are Actually, Finally Becoming a Reality in Japan ![Japan is pouring money into the development of flying cars with aims of commercializing the futuristic mode of transportation as soon as 2023.]() *\Image: SkyDrive\* ## Big in Japan The Japanese government is pouring money into the development of [flying cars]() with aims of commercializing the futuristic mode of transportation as soon as 2023, the [*Japan Times* reports](). A number of flying car concepts are being developed throughout the globe, with the likes of [Airbus](), [Boeing]() and [Uber]() leading the charge. ## Two-Seater eVTOL The dream of covering smaller distances in vehicles capable of vertical take off and landing (VTOL) is very much alive — and that's especially true in Japan. Japan's SkyDrive, one of the country's newest flying car startups, recently revealed the SD-XX, a sleek two-person eVTOL aircraft, about the size of a car, with a range of several tens of kilometers at 100 kmh (62 mph). https://youtu.be/C6tOQ7E4jTQ The company is hoping to complete its first flight test this summer, according to the *Japan Times*. "We’re considering launching an air taxi service in big cities, either Osaka or Tokyo, with initial flights over the sea as it would be too risky to fly over many people all of a sudden," SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, a former engineer at Toyota, told the newspaper. ## Taking Off Vertically He also noted that development has been "accelerating rapidly with the rise in the number of personnel in the venture." The startup is planning to start with round trips around various resorts, including Universal Studios Japan. "The initial model will fly basically on auto pilot, but it’s not 100 percent autonomous because a pilot would need to maneuver it in case of an emergency, for example," Fukuzawa said. The goal of the startup is to sell at least 100 vehicles by 2028, each for the cost of an "expensive car," according to the CEO. **READ MORE:** [Eyes on the skies: SkyDrive plans to launch flying cars in three years]() \[*Japan Times*\] **More on flying cars:** *[This Flying Car Looks Like the DeLorean From “Back to the Future”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()