Suzuki reaches deal with Japanese start-up Skydrive to produce 'flying cars'

June 20 (UPI) -- Automaker Suzuki said Tuesday that it has agreed to partner with a Japanese start-up to produce "flying cars" beginning next year.

Under the deal, Suzuki plans to partner with Skydrive, a leading flying car start-up in Japan, which will establish a subsidiary that will use a Suzuki-owned plant to manufacture the vehicles beginning in the Spring of 2024.

"We are excited to cooperate with SkyDrive as we ambitiously work towards creating valuable products that contribute to the realization of a world where people use the sky for their daily transportation," Toshihiro Suzuki, Suzuki Motor Corporation President, said in a statement.

The so-called flying cars look similar to helicopters and will be able to vertically take off and land using multiple rotors. The vehicles are typically meant for carrying a small number of people, with some models also equipped for use on land.

On Monday, SkyDrive showed plans to modify the vehicle to carry three people, up from two, at the Paris Airshow.

"In our pursuit to consistently manufacture safe and high-quality aircraft for the world, we are grateful for the valuable know-how we will learn from Suzuki, a global leader in automobile mass production," Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive Inc. CEO, said in a statement. "Suzuki and SkyDrive will work closely towards the shared goal."