Hopes To Use The Vehicle To Light The 2020 Olympic Torch In Tokyo

A startup company backed by automaker Toyota is reportedly working on a "flying car" that it hopes can participate in the lighting of the Olympic Torch at the 2020 games in Tokyo.

But as with many such things, right now the vehicle is barely more than a concept ... a collection of aluminum framing, electric motors and eight propellers that can barely get off the ground and can fly only momentarily.

The Associated Press reports that Toyota has invested the equivalent of $386,000 in startup Cartivator Resource Management to work on ”Sky Drive.” An unmanned test version of the vehicle was test-flown last month for a few seconds before tilting over and hitting the ground. It reached an altitude of "about eye level" before crashing. After several attempts, the team halted testing when the vehicle was damaged beyond where it was safe to continue.

Toyota is continuing to back the project, and a first man flight is anticipated sometime this year. In the future, we will overcome numerous technical issues while conducting design verification tests, and will further accelerate development towards manned flight test in June 2019, demonstration flight in 2020, and sale in 2023," the company said in a news release posted on its website.

(Images provided with Cartivator news release)

FMI: Source report