Photo: Porsche
Slowly but surely, the urban air mobility storm is beginning its sweep over the world, and it’s drawing more and more established carmakers into the vortex. From Audi to Mercedes, car companies are seeking to find the best way into this new El Dorado of mobility, and usually that means striking a deal with aviation companies.
It what may seem like a shocking move, Porsche announced on Thursday (October 10) it is working on a fully electric flying car. It does so together with American aviation giant Boeing, after the two struck a deal this week.
The details on the project are still sketchy. What is known is that the German carmaker will be building a prototype of the vehicle at an undisclosed date, and test it with the goal of eventually mass producing it. Also, the carmaker released a rendering of how the vehicle might look like (posted above).
Porsche says it decided to venture into this emerging industry after internal studies have shown the urban air mobility market will gain momentum after the middle of the next decade. That’s because moving on the road will become increasingly difficult in cities, and air transport will be both faster and cheaper.
“Porsche is looking to enhance its scope as a sports car manufacturer by becoming a leading brand for premium mobility. In the longer term, this could mean moving into the third dimension of travel,” said in a statement Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
“We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future.”
Porsche will be assisted in its endeavors by Boeing’s specialized air mobility subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences. This is the same company that back in January performed the first flight test for an autonomous passenger drone.
Presently, Boeing is in the middle of an expansion efforts on all fronts, as earlier this week it announced an investment in space company Virgin Galactic.
The details on the project are still sketchy. What is known is that the German carmaker will be building a prototype of the vehicle at an undisclosed date, and test it with the goal of eventually mass producing it. Also, the carmaker released a rendering of how the vehicle might look like (posted above).
Porsche says it decided to venture into this emerging industry after internal studies have shown the urban air mobility market will gain momentum after the middle of the next decade. That’s because moving on the road will become increasingly difficult in cities, and air transport will be both faster and cheaper.
“Porsche is looking to enhance its scope as a sports car manufacturer by becoming a leading brand for premium mobility. In the longer term, this could mean moving into the third dimension of travel,” said in a statement Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.
“We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future.”
Porsche will be assisted in its endeavors by Boeing’s specialized air mobility subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences. This is the same company that back in January performed the first flight test for an autonomous passenger drone.
Presently, Boeing is in the middle of an expansion efforts on all fronts, as earlier this week it announced an investment in space company Virgin Galactic.
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