Larry Page's Flying Car Startup Shuts Down

Google co-founder Larry Page’s flying car startup Kittyhawk is shutting down, the company announced.

Kittyhawk was founded as Zee.Aero in 2010 when Page recruited Sebastian Thrun, who had worked on self-driving cars and other experimental projects at Google, to create electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Kittyhawk showcased a flying car model called the Flyer in 2018 that could hold one person and fly up to 20 miles (32 km). The model was expected to the skies within five years. The company even announced a strategic partnership with Boeing the following year.

Kitty Hawk conducted more than 25,000 successful crewed and uncrewed flights with its Flyer fleet. However, that program was shuttered in June 2020 to make room for Heaviside, a more capable, quieter and once secret electric aircraft known as H2 that could fly and land anywhere autonomously.

Another public project was Cora, a two-person, autonomous flying taxi that was initially revealed in 2018. In late 2019 it became a joint venture between the company and Boeing. Now named Wisk, the project is trying to develop and commercialize electric, self-flying air taxis. In early 2022, Boeing invested another $450 million into Wisk.

The announcement will not affect the partnership with Boeing, a spokesperson told CNBC.

Kitty Hawk’s decision to cease operations does not change Boeing’s commitment to Wisk. We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and are excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel.

“We’re still working on the details of what’s next,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.