In October 2019, Porsche and Boeing signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a premium VTOL vehicle for the urban air mobility market. Unlike the wave of air taxi startups focused on volume commuter transport, the Porsche-Boeing partnership was explicitly aimed at the wealthy: a luxury eVTOL that would extend Porsche's premium mobility brand into the third dimension of travel.
What Is the Porsche Boeing eVTOL Concept?
The concept design that emerged from the partnership is a radical propeller-free aircraft that relies on thrust-vectoring technology for vertical takeoff, horizontal cruise, and landing. Two exhaust nozzles at the rear suggest a jet-derived propulsion approach rather than the exposed rotors common to most eVTOL designs. The target cruise speed is approximately 200 km/h (124 mph), positioning it as a genuine point-to-point urban transport solution rather than a recreational toy.
Porsche brought its design language to the exterior, resulting in a vehicle that reads clearly as a Porsche product even without wheels. Boeing contributed the structural engineering and aviation systems expertise needed to make an aircraft of this complexity viable. The partnership brought together what the two companies do best: one knows how to make premium ground vehicles feel special, the other knows how to make aircraft fly safely at scale.
Why a Premium eVTOL Market?
The air taxi market in 2019 was dominated by proposals for affordable, high-frequency commuter flights. Porsche and Boeing identified a different niche: urban air mobility for customers who already pay a premium for ground transport and who would pay significantly more for a fast, quiet, private aerial alternative. The analogy to the private helicopter market is obvious, but eVTOL technology promises quieter operation, lower emissions, and potentially simpler certification than a conventional rotorcraft.
What Happened to the Porsche Boeing VTOL Project?
The project was placed on hold following the disruptions of 2020, and there has been limited public progress since the original announcement. The concept remains one of the most compelling expressions of what a luxury eVTOL could look like, and both companies have continued to invest in adjacent aviation and electrification programs. The premium VTOL category it envisioned continues to develop through other entrants.
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Further reading: Electrek: Porsche and Boeing announce premium eVTOL partnership and Robb Report: Porsche and Boeing developing a luxury flying car.
