Porsche Plans to Create Flying Taxi
Volkswagen sports car maker, Porsche plans to develop passenger vehicles to compete with rivals in the air taxi market and ride-sharing services .
"It really makes sense that if I drive from the Zuffenhausen (Porsche factory) to Stuttgart Airport, I need at least half an hour, if I'm lucky, it will only take 3.5 minutes," said Porsche Sales Chief Detlev von Platen to the German Automocowoche magazine on Sunday (4/3).
Porsche will join the assembled company that is working on the design to fly in anticipation of a shift in the transportation market, from a conventional car to a propulsion vehicle itself that is distributed through a ride-hailing app.
Volkswagen Italdesign and Airbus (AIR.PA) car designers at the Geneva auto show last year, presented a two-seater flying van called Pop.Up designed to avoid congestion on city roads. The magazine says based on Porsche's plans, passengers can control their own flying vehicles. However, it does not require a pilot license because many car functions will be automated.
Potential competitors for Porsche-made vehicles will be the start up of German Volocopter, powered by Daimler (DAIGn.DE), Lilium Jet and eVolo, as well as Terrafugia and Joby Aviation based in California.
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