Pacific Group Bets on Urban Air Mobility in Vietnam, Pre-Orders SkyDrive’s Passenger eVTOL

SkyDrive Receives Pre-Order of up to 100 Flying Vehicles from Pacific Group

Renewable energy investment group Pacific Group Co Ltd is making a bet on urban air mobility in Vietnam, signing an MoU with Japanese eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive Inc.

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Pacific Group has pre-ordered 10 SkyDrive SD-05 passenger aircraft,  and have placed a conditional pre-order option for up to 90 flying vehicles. “Pacific Group has also agreed to explore sustainable and easily accessible new mobility solutions, focused on the use case of SkyDrive’s SD-05 flying vehicles, in the Vietnamese market,” says the press release.

eVTOLs and urban air mobility make a lot of sense for Vietnam’s congested cities, with their iconic crowded streets.  SkyDrive and Pacific Group will work together on a project to evaluate the use and infrastructure requirements to implement urban air mobility in Vietnam: including vertiports, route and network planning, and regulatory challenges.

“The urban streets in Vietnam, crowded with motorcycles and automotives are vibrant and exciting. However, considering the current social problem of traffic safety and greenhouse gas emissions, I think this is one of the most important social issues that need to be addressed. The number of motorcycles and automotives is only increasing, and it takes time to develop roads and parking lots. We would be happy to contribute to solving Vietnam’s social issues by providing eVTOLs, a means of transportation using the sky, as one of the country’s new transportation infrastructures,” said SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa. “Working with such a respected Vietnamese company with a wide variety of business networks within the country, SkyDrive expects to accelerate its ability to enter the Vietnamese market. Together with Pacific Group, we look to offer the Vietnamese community and market a new way to move around and a new way to enjoy air travel within the country.”

“Vietnam Government committed at COP26 to go net-zero by 2050. Several companies and localities in Vietnam trend to zero-emission energy consumption and the zero- emission transportation is a must in the coming time. On the other hand, we can foresee the need of eVTOL in big cities in Asia e.g. Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi to provide new generation of transportation means,” said Le Ngoc Anh Minh, the Executive President and Founder of Pacific Group. “Of course, we will have to work closely withSkyDrive and several authorities such as Vietnam Transport Ministry, Civil Aviation Agency of Vietnam, Vietnam Ministry of Defense from time to time to explain and present the trend and technology of eVTOL to get approval and to enhance regulations updated. There are many hurdles of transport facilities and regulation and also perception of the community in the time to come but we shall work together with SkyDrive to solve each from time to time. Next year 2023 remarking 50th year anniversary of Vietnam and Japan diplomatic relation and we really hope to create several activities with SkyDrive to promote this eVTOL not only for our business but also for contribution to the two nation’s scientific and friendship collaboration.”

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