FLYING CARS? UBER LOOKS SKYWARD FOR NEXT BIG SHIFT IN TRAVEL
Company wants program up, running within decade
While most of the auto industry is focused on getting self- driving cars rolling, Uber has its eyes set to the skies. Literally.
In a white paper published this week, the company detailed plans for Uber Elevate, its new division for offering rides through flying cars. The company hopes to have the program up and running within a decade.
In addition to being incredibly cool, Uber stresses the many benefits of this new mode of transportation, time saving being the biggest.
“Imagine traveling from San Francisco’s Marina ( district) to work in downtown San Jose— a drive that would normally occupy the better part of two hours — in only 15 minutes,” writes Jeff Holden, Uber’s chief product officer, and Nikhil Goel, the company’s product manager for Uber Elevate and advanced programs.
Plus with more people in the air, the company anticipates it loosening the burden on the roads.
The company acknowledges challenges in getting this project off the ground. As opposed to using helicopters, which are expensive and noisy, the company will rely on VTOLs, or “a network of small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically.”
The VTOLs are cheaper and quieter, and their electronic basis mean they will be better for the environment than gas- powered helicopters. Battery technology still needs to improve, and as these are flying vehicles, the company notes there will need to be some air traffic control mechanism in place. These vehicles also will need properly trained pilots at the control, at least until they, too, become self- driving.
This type of aircraft, which is being developed by a variety of companies including Joby Aviation, Zee. Aero and Airbus, will be pricey initially. For consumers, it sees prices starting high but dropping thanks to its Uber Pool system. A 45- mile pool VTOL, for example, would replace a 60- mile car ride for potentially as low as $ 21. And the trek would only be 15 minutes.