Porsche and Boeing are developing an electric flying car concept as part of a new partnership exploring the “premium urban air mobility market”, the two brands have announced.
Engineers from both companies will work on the project to implement and test a prototype, but no timeframe has been given for the endeavour.
Porsche has recently entered the electric vehicle market with its Taycan sports saloon and wants to diversify further beyond its traditional market.
Sales and marketing boss Detlev von Platen, commenting on the memorandum of understanding between Porsche and Boeing, said: “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."
He continued: “We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future.”
Alongside the flying car concept, known as a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, the two firms will create a team to explore urban air travel, including the market potential for premium vehicles and possible use cases.
A 2018 study by Porsche Consulting forecast that the urban air mobility market will gain traction after 2025. The research also indicated that urban air transport will allow passengers to move more quickly and efficiently than using current conventional transport, at a lower cost and with greater flexibility.
There has been a number of flying car projects announced in recent years, as the industry seeks to address growing populations in cities around the world. Despite hype around projects such as Uber’s flying car, Pal-V Liberty and Terrafugia TF-X, none is yet in service, no doubt hampered by legislation.
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The flying car story is even
Just like cold fusion...
...20 years away. And always will be.
Boeing and Porsche
The abbreviated names put together makes an unfortunate WW1 insult to Germans.
Oh dear....