Uber’s ‘flying cars’ in NYC’s future?

Uber is planning to pour millions of dollars into putting fast, quiet and affordable flying cars into operation — and one of its partners aims to make New York City a backdrop for its futuristic ambitions within five years.

The ride-sharing app said in a release Tuesday it is working on making commercial use of so-called VTOLs — aircraft capable of “vertical takeoff and landing” — a reality by 2020 in Dallas and Dubai, in time for the Dubai World Fair.

And speaking on a panel at an Uber press event in Dallas, Rob Wiesenthal, chief executive of the Blade helicopter service, confirmed he is a part of a working group with Uber to explore also bringing VTOL transportation to Gotham.

“We want to bring VTOL to NYC as quickly as possible and we want the public to see them, trust them and try them and hear them,” Wiesenthal said. “Our goal is in five years that Blade will enable New Yorkers to reduce the time and friction of their commutes on an on-demand basis.”

Uber confirmed the existence of the working group, but a spokesperson insisted, “Uber has no plans to bring VTOL to New York City at this time.”

VTOLs are frequently re- ferred to as flying cars, but they are effectively battery-operated helicopters — and potentially much quieter and cheaper than the gas-powered kind.

The question is how quickly they can become a mainstream commuter reality.

Uber says the cost of a VTOL could eventually be as low as $1.32 a mile, in line with the current rate of an UberX car. With VTOLs hitting speeds of 200 mph, a trip from Manhattan to JFK Airport could be as little as five minutes, Wiesenthal said.

The FAA would regulate where VTOLs could fly and land, although questions linger about safety, how long batteries will last and how many passen- gers VTOLs can carry.

The working group is set on using VTOLs to tackle problems that have long bedeviled helicopter travel. In the Hamptons, for example, helicopters have been stymied by curfews and protests over noise.

Uber said it’s working to build VTOLs with manufacturers including Bell, Aurora, Pipistrel, Embraer and Mooney and that it’s working with ChargePoint to develop a charger network.

Uber isn’t the only company racing to put cars in the air. Google co-founder Larry Page’s startup Kitty Hawk released a video Monday that showed one of its VTOLs flying over a lake.