Drones were once a tool strictly used by military forces.  Then they became toys for those who could afford expensive gadgets, or hobbyist with a penchant for electronics.  Now their prices have dropped so dramatically that almost anyone can afford a drone of some type.  Drones are being used all over the world for countless reasons.  The latest push for drone technologies have been to find ways to make deliveries via drones a reality.  Due to the relaxing of regulations and the advancement of technologies, drone deliveries are eminent.  So what is the next frontier to explore when it comes to the world of drones?  It would seem that rather than transporting small packages, drone designers are looking to create drones that can transport people.

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada a Chinese company called Beijing Yi-Hang Creation Science & Technology surprised viewers with their latest creation, Ehang.  Ehang was the world’s first passenger drone.  It can carry one passenger for around 23 minutes reaching a top speed of 62mph.  It looks like a small pod with four arms coming out from the bottom corners of the pod.  On top of each of these arms is a set of propellers that helps power the predetermined GPS flight course.  They ran over 1,000 test flights with dummy passengers in all kinds of weather and visibility environments.

In 2017 it was announced that Ehang would be used in Dubai as a drone taxi.  It comes as no surprise that Dubai would be the first city in the world to offer such a service.  Known for opulence and luxury, a drone taxi fits perfectly for the image that Dubai aims to project.  It is clear that Dubai will be setting the bar when it comes to the actuality of drone taxis.  One company that is looking to join the drone taxi revolution is luxury car maker Porsche.

Founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1931, the name Porsche has become synonymous with high performance luxury sports cars.  As experts have predicted that passenger drones could become a trillion dollar enterprise in the next few decades, it only makes sense that Porsche would want in on the game.  To achieve this they have wisely partnered with the biggest aerospace company in the world, Seattle, Washington based Boeing.  Currently the partnership is still in the beginning phases or design and research.  Though there cold still be some drastic changes in the future, they did release a preliminary sketch of their concept drone taxi.  It is a super sleek ship with a wrap around window capable of vertical takeoff and landing. 

As of now the team of international engineers from both companies were reluctant to give any more information on the project.  A Porsche spokesperson stated, “Porsche sees its responsibility as presenting products only when they are fully developed and the market is ready for them. Product development is therefore a long-term process with intensive testing. We can only show a concrete product concept when a certain level of maturity has been achieved.”  For now the public will have to wait until a full scale prototype is ready to be revealed sometime in 2020.

But, if Porsche is serious about staking their claim on this sector of the drone industry they will have to work quickly.  With Ehang already in business and several other companies also looking into developing drone taxis, the race is on.  In fact, Audi (Porsche’s sister company) has teamed up with Boeing’s biggest competitor Airbus to create a passenger drone as well.  One thing is for certain, that if and when Porsche releases a passenger drone it will surely be one that lives up to the brand’s image of high performance luxury vehicles.

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