SkyDrive and Kansai Electric Power Company to work on developing charging facilities for eVTOL aircraft at World EXPO 2025
SkyDrive and Kansai Electric Power Company have jointly developed charging facilities for eVTOL aircraft, with the aim for them to be operational at the World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
In 2022, SkyDrive entered into a capital and business alliance agreement with KEPCO and have led the joint research and development of advanced charging facilities needed for the practical implementation of eVTOL aircraft.
These facilities enable rapid charging with high current and voltage, minimising turnaround times and ensuring seamless, profitable operations. In addition, the design allows for easy scalability, paving the way for expanded global applications.
The first charging facilities will be installed at the Flight Test Facility by year’s end, to support SkyDrive’s flight test program. Subsequently, another facility will be established at the eVTOL vertiport on Yumeshima Island.
SkyDrive has been selected to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility ‘Smart Mobility Expo’ Project in Osaka, where it will fly is SD-05 aircraft. Formally established in July 2018, the company completed the first crewed eVTOL flight test in Japan in 2019 and its aircraft is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification.
SkyDrive plans to begin production of ”SKYDRIVE” in the Spring of 2024 at the plant owned by official production partner Suzuki Motor Company.
With the mission of ‘taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution’, SkyDrive is developing an affordable access eVTOL aircraft for daily mass-transportation.
KEPCO is a company developing charging facilities for eVTOL aircraft and studying support for the installation of electric power infrastructure at vertiports, with a view to entering the charging infrastructure business.