Kittyhawk, Google co-founder Larry Page’s flying-car company, will shut down
- Kittyhawk was founded in 2010 to pioneer the market for so-called eVTOLs – electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – with the lofty goal of democratising the skies
- The air-taxi market still has numerous competitors, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Germany’s Lilium and Brazil’s Eve, but they face uncertain prospects
Kittyhawk, the air-taxi company backed by billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page, will be closing down, dealing a setback to the long-elusive dream of developing flying cars.
“We have made the decision to wind down Kittyhawk,” the company said on Twitter. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next.”
The company’s technology is expected to live on in the form of its Wisk Aero joint venture with Boeing Co. Wisk’s operations won’t be affected by Kittyhawk’s shutdown, Boeing said on Wednesday.
Kittyhawk was founded in 2010 to pioneer the market for so-called eVTOLs – electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – with the lofty goal of democratising the skies. The secretive company was run by Sebastian Thrun, a Google veteran who worked on self-driving cars, augmented-reality glasses and other projects.
The business was one of several start-ups working on the concept, which has proven to be a greater challenge than some expected. Air taxis have suffered crashes during testing in recent months, raising concerns about their safety.
Insider previously reported on Kittyhawk’s plans to close.
Kittyhawk formed its Wisk venture with Boeing in 2019, and the aeroplane manufacturer went on to invest US$450 million in the partnership. Earlier this week, Boeing and Wisk presented their vision for a world where eVTOLs can coexist with larger commercial aircraft.