yesterday that it is receiving a $450 million investment from Boeing as it works on its sixth-generation electric air taxi. Like other startups in the space, Wisk aims to create an Uber-type service in the sky in which paying passengers will book rides on a small aircraft that can take off and land vertically while running off battery power, not fossil fuels.
The company, which is a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corp., has already been flying a two-seater electric aircraft that they’ve dubbed Cora. Cora, whichin 2018, flies autonomously—it hasn’t yet carried people—and can hit speeds of about 100 miles per hour, according to Wisk spokesperson Chris Brown. The yellow-colored Cora aircraft sports 12 small rotor-like fans on its wings, which allow it to take off and land vertically. A rear propeller pushes it through the air.
While the company’s yellow Cora aircraft represents its fifth-generation flying machine, the sixth remains under wraps. “It will be larger,” says Brown. “And have [a] longer range.” Cora’s range is about 25 miles. Brown says the influx of money will help them expand the company as they work on their next air taxi. “That funding is really going to a new growth phase that’s emerging over the coming year, in correlation with the sixth-gen aircraft,” he says. They’ll also prepare to manufacture the new aircraft at scale. The goal is for the company to eventually both make the aircraft and operate the mobility service that allows people to catch rides on them.
We had the opportunity to learn more about WiskAero during CoMotionLA (CoMotionNEWS) That’s definitely a safe takeoff 🛫