The Future is Here
The first flying cars would be available in Japan in 2023, as part of a new taxi service created by a former Toyota engineer. A promise that many have made, but will it come true?
We are already in the future and we still cannot take a flying car and go anywhere, as films like Back to the Future or Blade Runner anticipated us; but in this case, the keyword is ‘yet’.
Because there are already many startups around the world that have achieved important advances in the technology necessary to make this concept a reality; and yes, also in Spain.
Perhaps one of the most advanced is SkyDrive, based in Tokyo, and that this week has made a very shocking public promise, as The Japan Times collects: by 2023 they will have flying cars, and they have the support of the government to achieve it.
The First Flying Cars, in Japan?
We are talking about three years, maybe less, to solve the many technical challenges of getting a car to fly; But SkyDrive believes it is in the right position to solve them, especially given its experience: its CEO, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, was a Toyota engineer and founded his startup to take the next step in transportation.
The result of its development is the SD-XX, a flying car that for now is just a concept; It is completely electric and uses four propellers in each of the corners to lift the flight.
Fukuzawa’s plan is shocking: by 2023 the company will offer flying car rides throughout all of Tokyo; We can travel to any destination within the 23 neighborhoods of the capital in just 10 minutes by flight. A journey that, by car, can normally take even hours depending on traffic.
A Small Flying Car For The City
That is very different from what other startups propose. Most present their flying cars as an option to travel from the airport outside the city to the edge or, at most, a station in the center. But SkyDrive believes it can offer shorter and faster in-city trips.
The great advantage of this is that the car does not need such a large battery, and therefore the car is much smaller and lighter than other alternatives; It is possible to park it in the same space that two conventional cars occupy.
It is an idea that makes sense; With short trips of ten minutes, it is possible to get clients from one place to another quickly and efficiently, without worrying too much about autonomy. Only two people can go on board, and one must be the pilot, so it will be a service mainly aimed at those who want to skip traffic and need to get to their destination quickly, probably business people.
That is why initially, this type of transport will not be a revolution, nor will it greatly change the transport of Tokyo; but as a premium product it can make a lot of sense.
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