Share

Suzuki set to start building 'flying cars' next year

accreditation
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
Suzuki and SkyDrive will collaborate to begin manufacturing a "flying car" next year.
Suzuki and SkyDrive will collaborate to begin manufacturing a "flying car" next year.
Sourced: Suzuki website
  • Suzuki will start manufacturing electric flying cars.
  • Airbus is preparing for a future in which electric flying vehicles are important.
  • For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.

Suzuki has signed an agreement with SkyDrive to cooperate on the manufacturing of "flying cars".

The flying cars will be manufactured in one of Suzuki's factories in Japan.

The plan is for production to begin during spring in Japan, which is in March.

A statement released by Suzuki said the companies would still need to discuss and agree upon the specific terms of the agreement. 

Some experts believe there is potential for flying electric vehicles to displace cars that are on the road for short trips.

Venkat Viswanathan, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said electric flying cars were likely to replace the short trips which were usually taken by gasoline-powered cars today, reported Bloomberg.

READ NOW | The case for flying cars as a climate solution

Suzuki and SkyDrive are not the only ones working on electric-powered flying aircraft.

Airbus said in a statement that hybrid-electric propulsion is rapidly revolutionising mobility technologies across industries.

Airbus has been experimenting with electric planes for a number of years.

In 2010, Airbus developed the world's first fully-electric, four-engine electric aircraft, called the CriCri.

Airbus launched Air Race E in 2021, the world's first electric airplane race.

Airbus sees the future of the aviation industry as moving away from jet fuel, to alternative propulsion methods.

Its work in electric flights will "lay the groundwork for future industry-wide adoption and regulatory acceptance of alternative-propulsion commercial aircraft and urban air vehicles".



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
68% - 1170 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
32% - 558 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.79
+1.2%
Rand - Pound
23.49
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.10
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.27
-0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.3%
Platinum
924.10
0.0%
Palladium
959.00
0.0%
Gold
2,337.68
0.0%
Silver
27.19
-0.0%
Brent Crude
89.50
+0.6%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE