29 September 2022 || 4 min read

SkyDrive, developer of compact electric air vehicles that aim to ‘make flying vehicles a choice of daily transportation’, has formed a strategic alliance with Volatus Infrastructure, a new U.S-based company dedicated to developing urban infrastructure for eVTOL technologies. Through the partnership, Volatus will provide Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure for SkyDrive’s new vehicles, including vertiports and charging stations in the United States.

SkyDrive SD-05

Above: Image of SkyDrive’s two-seat concept vehicle at a Volatus Vertiport

According a recent press release from SkyDrive, Volatus’ goal is to make eVTOL technology widely accessible by promoting universally accepted standards for Advanced Air Mobility infrastructure components and aircraft, and by targeting affordable costs for AAM travel. The U.S-based company was founded in 2021, and seeks to ‘connect communities of the future’ by providing universal vehicle charging stations, eVTOL maintenance programs, and user interfaces for travellers.

As part of the partnership between the two companies, Volatus will provide tailored infrastructure packages to SkyDrive as one of SkyDrive’s preferred vendors. These packages will include setups for eVTOL vertiports and charging facilities, and possibly customer-facing services for SkyDrive’s travellers. In exhange, SkyDrive has agreed to support Volatus in the development of its infrastructure globally.

Said SkyDrive’s CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, “Volatus is planning to build permanent vertiports in many states in the US, starting with Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and SkyDrive is looking to utilize their vertiports. We believe our collaboration will accelerate and promote advanced air mobility.”

Said Grant Fisk, Volatus’ Infrastructure Co-Founder, “This is a huge step forward for the global eVTOL industry. We can best serve communities and make this technology accessible faster by working together. SkyDrive will play a critical role in creating our cargo hub.”

Above: Concept image of a Volatus vertiport, depicting the Airbus CityAirbus in operation

SkyDrive is currently the leading eVTOL developer in Japan, having recently publicized successful piloted test flights. Notably, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau recently accepted the company’s application for type certification of its two-seat SD-05 aircraft. In the coming weeks, SkyDrive plans to unveil a model of the SD-05 to the public at GITEX Global 2022.

Notably, Volatus has already begun building a vertiport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which will include an eVTOL landing pad and an agnostic electric aircraft charging station. Learn more about this release here.

Why it’s important: Through partnering with Volatus, SkyDrive has made massive strides towards global distribution of its eVTOL aerial mobility products. Volatus, while a young company, represents a small but growing number of infrastructure companies slowly emerging in the United States. With this partnership, the two companies will likely collaborate to find key niches in the United States’ aerial mobility market, possibly making themselves one of the first to emerge in certain areas.

Source // Volatus Infrastructure, SkyDrive

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