Maruti Suzuki’s Flying Car: The country’s largest car manufacturing company Maruti Suzuki is preparing to make a flying electric car in collaboration with its parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC). This electric air copter can be flown from the roof of the house and can also be landed there.
According to media reports, Kento Ogura, Assistant Manager of Global Automobile Planning Department at SMCL, said that a partnership has been made with Japanese startup Skydrive to develop the flying car. Its name could be Skydrive.
This electric air copter i.e. flying car will be bigger than a drone, but smaller than a traditional helicopter. Three people including the pilot will be able to sit in it. It can be used as electric flying taxi service in urban areas.
Manufacturing will take place in India, the price will also be low
The company is also considering manufacturing flying cars in India for economic reasons. “There is no specific timeline yet, although manufacturing in India is advisable,” Ogura said. For this, talks are being held with officials of aviation regulator DGCA. If we come here under Make in India, flying cars will definitely be affordable here.
It will be sold in the Indian market after Japan-America
Ogura said, ‘It is expected to be launched in Japan at the 2025 Osaka Expo with 12 units of motor and rotors. First of all, this flying car will be available for sale in Japan and American markets. After this, there is a plan to sell it in India under ‘Make in India’. We are doing market research to find customers and partners in India.
Half the weight of a traditional helicopter
The weight of this air copter will be almost half the weight of a traditional helicopter. Due to its low weight, the roofs of the building can be used for take-off and landing. It has also been told in the media report that due to electrification the number of aircraft parts has reduced significantly. Due to this, manufacturing and maintenance costs have reduced.
Initially range of 15 kilometers
Ogura said that initially the range of the three-passenger edition will be 15 kilometers. After this, it is likely to double to 30 kilometers by 2029 and then to 40 kilometers by 2031. ‘India is a big country and we need a range which is definitely more than 15 kilometres,’ he said.