A Tokyo-based aerial technology startup has unveiled an ultra-light and compact carbon-free flying vehicle.

The all-electric car, designed by Tokyo-based technology company SkyDrive, features a total of eight propellers, and boasts a maximum carrying capacity of 400kg.

Known as the Model SD-03, the car has been engineered to vertically take off and land with stability, and is said to offer a new means of fast and safe door-to-door transportation.

Established in July 2018, SkyDrive is a developer of flying cars and cargo drones with the mission of “Leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution.”

Since then, the company has been working in partnership with others to promote the shared vision of a futuristic world in which people can use air mobility as a means of transportation in their daily lives.

SkyDrive launched the new carbon-free vehicle at the annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It is the first time that SkyDrive has exhibited its full-scale SD-03 in countries other than Japan.

The SD-03 model is the height of our expertise in drone technologies and aerodynamic engineering,” said Takehiro Sato, Chief Operating Officer at SkyDrive.

“What we want to see in the future is that SkyDrive’s carbon-free flying vehicles take off and land in your parking lot and helipads on the top of buildings, making door-to-door air travel a realistic choice of daily urban transportation. 

“We are working harder and faster than ever to make this once-in-a-century mobility revolution a reality.”

SkyDrive is also working on the development of another carbon-free flying vehicle, known as Model SD-05, following certification from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

The company is hopeful that Model SD-05 will be ready for use as an air taxi during the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.