Porsche, Boeing cooperate on urban air traffic
Porsche and Boeing have signed a letter of intent to explore the urban traffic in the third dimension. The aim is to combine the strengths and knowledge of both companies to investigate the future of urban aircraft. Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, explained the motivation behind the venture: Porsche’s intends to develop from a sports car manufacturer to a leading brand for premium mobility. This development could also include the third dimension in the long term, said von Platen.
The two partners want to explore different aspects of Urban Air Mobility within the framework of the cooperation. This includes analysing the potential of the market and identifying possible areas of application.
Porsche, Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of the latter, are also developing a concept for a fully electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically. Engineers from both companies and from Porsche subsidiaries Porsche Engineering Services GmbH and Studio F.A. Porsche are working on the implementation and testing of the prototype.
According to a study by management consultants Porsche Consulting from 2018, the growth of the market is expected to accelerate noticeably from 2025 onwards. Urban aircraft will be able to transport people much faster and more efficiently than conventional means of transport, the study concludes. Further advantages are the comparatively low costs and higher flexibility.
For the time being, it is unclear whether the two companies will work on an aircraft under automatic or human control. However, it is clear that Porsche and Boeing are by no means alone in this market. The Munich start-up company Lilium already has the prototype of an electrically powered air taxi in the air. Audi is working together with Airbus and Italdesign on a similar project, and Daimler has already thrown its hat into the ring by acquiring a stake in the young company Volocopter. Even electronics companies like Intel are invested in this promising market segment.
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