Urban Transport

Porsche and Boeing team up on urban air mobility project

Porsche and Boeing team up on urban air mobility project
A possible future eVTOL flying taxi, as depicted by Porsche
A possible future eVTOL flying taxi, as depicted by Porsche
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A glimpse of what may be in store for future commuters
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A glimpse of what may be in store for future commuters
A possible future eVTOL flying taxi, as depicted by Porsche
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A possible future eVTOL flying taxi, as depicted by Porsche

Will we one day be able to buy flying Porsches? Well, maybe. It has just been announced that the automaker has joined forces with Boeing, to explore the possibility of developing a premium urban air mobility vehicle.

In a 2018 study conducted by Porsche Consulting, it was forecast that the urban air mobility market will gain momentum after 2025, ultimately transporting passengers faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost than current conventional means of ground-based transport.

Boeing, meanwhile, has been developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which recently made its first flight.

The corporation is additionally working with California-based Kitty Hawk to develop an eVTOL "flying taxi," plus it has acquired Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences, which also has a flying taxi in the works. As part of the new partnership, Porsche will be helping in the development of the latter vehicle.

A glimpse of what may be in store for future commuters
A glimpse of what may be in store for future commuters

Boeing and Porsche will additionally set out to address "various aspects of urban air mobility, including analysis of the market potential for premium vehicles and possible use cases," via an international team of experts.

"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," says 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."

Source: Boeing

4 comments
4 comments
guzmanchinky
Hmmmm. I personally love the idea of personal air mobility, but only if it doesn't come at the cost of extra noise.
ei3io
Nice looking Porche and their VTOL mode appears to possibly not be like the foolish multisets of slicers in the other Boeing projects. Maybe they hide those killers inside the fat low aspect wing but where is the input air mass coming from? The huge rudders are needed to reduce low aspect inefficiency with better yaw control but would need to fold inward to be able to use a road?
Nelson Hyde Chick
It takes a lot more energy to fly a pound a mile than drive it a mile, so in a time we need to be lowering our environmental footprint the rich will be expanding theirs so they do not have to wait in traffic with the masses.
ReservoirPup
@Nelson Hyde Chick - Walking or cycling is even better for the environment and you than driving, but such minimalism runs counter to the GDP growth obsession almost all public policy hinges on. Well, the herd mentality plays a part too. Homo Sapiens is a flattery and you know that.