Over generations, we have experienced many different methods of transportation across the globe. From the introduction of the automobile, to the first commercial airline, technology has become innovative, faster and more modern as it seeks to accomplish what has never been done before.
On Thursday, US aircraft giant Boeing and German sports car manufacturer Porsche announced that they will be collaborating to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace,” through “a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.”
Essentially, both transportation giants have implied that they are working towards developing an electric car that will have the ability to fly. This announcement did not include any details regarding the financial aspect or other resources that the companies plan to invest in the effort, or even a target date or price range.
Porsche’s parent company, Volkswagen A, is currently the world’s largest automaker. Volkswagen has announced a major push into the development of electric vehicles, setting a target of building 22 million electric cars across its brands over the next 10 years.
Detlev von Platen, a member of the Porsche board in charge of sales and marketing, states “We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future…In the longer term, this could mean moving into the third dimension of travel.”
American aircraft giant Boeing produced revenue topping $100 billion for the first time sub-seeding the 2018 fiscal year. Unfortunately, its sales will be sharply lower this year due to the grounding of its best selling commercial jet, the 737 Max, following two fatal accidents that killed 346 people. The corporation has already shown a prototype of a self-driving electric powered flying car earlier this year.
Overall, it is perceived by the general public that a major innovation in transportation technology can be achieved with the collaboration of Porsche and Boeing. As stated by Steve Nordlund, GM of Boeing NeXt (a company unit working on next generation vehicles and aircrafts), “Porsche and Boeing together bring precision engineering, style and innovation to accelerate urban air mobility worldwide.”
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