CHICAGO - Boeing is investing another 450 million dollars (400 million euros) in Wisk, the developer of unmanned flying vehicles that can be used as taxis in the future. The American aircraft manufacturer announced this on Monday.
California-based Wisk is owned by Boeing and Kitty Hawk, the aviation company of Google co-founder Larry Page. Wisk is one of dozens of developers of electric vehicles that can take off and land vertically. This cross between a car, helicopter and airplane is known as an eVTOL. Unlike other developers, Wisk focuses on vehicles that can fly themselves.
Wisk's decision to skip development of a manned eVTOL, which many other start-ups and aerospace companies are working on, means that the company's unmanned vehicle will be commissioned later than the 2024 target date most competitors have set for themselves on their manned vehicles.
Boeing declined to give a target date for Wisk's unmanned passenger vehicle, but industry sources say it plans to present the device for certification in the United States around 2028.
