SkyDrive to bring more eVTOL air taxi services to South Carolina, home to its US headquarters
Japanese eVTOL developer SkyDrive continues to grow its order books and is now expanding potential air taxi operations in South Carolina, a state it chose as its US base last year. SkyDrive has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with one of the state’s largest private jet charter companies, which includes purchasing up to ten SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft.
SkyDrive Inc. remains a relative newcomer to the sustainable aviation segment but is quickly growing its global customer base despite the fast that it still needs to reach scaled eVTOL production.
It should do so with the help of Suzuki, which has signed on to manufacture the aircraft in Japan. In July of 2023, SkyDrive shared that it was establishing a US headquarters in South Carolina, which was joined by news that the company had secured its first eVTOL pre-order. At the time, Austin Aviation Inc. had signed a pre-order letter of intent to purchase up to five SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft in South Carolina.
Austin is one of several collaborators in the state working alongside the Japanese eVTOL company, which also includes a network of local airports. Today, SkyDrive announced another pre-order from a South Carolina-based company that includes a business opportunity with an airport in downtown Greenville.
SkyDrive, SAI flight share air taxi plans for South Carolina
According to a release from SkyDrive today, the eVTOL developer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding alongside SAI Flight and the Greenville Downtown Airport to jointly develop business opportunities that utilize SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft. Per SkyDrive:
Under this agreement, the three organizations will collaborate to develop real-life use cases for the eVTOL, originating from Greenville Downtown Airport with collaborative support of both the Greenville City Economic Development Corporation and the Greenville Area Development Corporation. They are working closely with local and state governments, as well as local businesses, to design practical routes such as to the city center and the Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport, that will enhance travel options for community residents and visitors. This positions Greenville as a leader among state airports in the integration of Advanced Air Mobility solutions.
The organizations shared that the pending eVTOL network will explore opportunities beyond air taxi travel and test the feasibility of advanced air cargo and emergency service use cases.
SAI Flight, one of the largest private jet charter and management companies in South Carolina, has committed to a pre-order of 10 SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft. SkyDrive shared that SAI’s Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate will enable it to integrate eVTOL services into its existing operations immediately as soon as those pre-ordered eVTOLs are delivered.
Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) is the busiest general aviation airport in the state. Through its MoU with SkyDrive and SAI Flight, GMU believes it is well-positioned to become a central hub for the future of Advanced Air Mobility in South Carolina. Looking forward, SkyDrive says it will continue to work alongside the state of South Carolina to expand eVTOL operations and bring jobs to the state. Per South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey:
For the past two years, we have proudly partnered with SkyDrive in the Lowcountry, as they exemplify South Carolina’s vision of being the new home of American innovation. SkyDrive’s Advanced Air Mobility solutions are set to transform the future of aviation, and we are excited to see this pioneering technology take root in our state. Starting in the Lowcountry, SkyDrive has expanded its efforts to include the Greenville area, Greenville Downtown Airport, and Columbia Metropolitan Airport, working closely with local airports and service providers to bring these cutting-edge services to life. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with SkyDrive as we build a brighter, more innovative future for aviation and economic growth in South Carolina.
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Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.
He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.
When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.
EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.
The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.
He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.
The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.
A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.
Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build
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Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.
The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.
Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.
For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.
Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:
Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.
The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.
We recently reported that an early Tesla Semi customer, Ryder, stated that the electric truck program is experiencing more delays and a price increase described as “dramatic.”
They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.
When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.
However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.
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Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.
The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.
The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.
Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.
The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.
“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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