The Uber Mobility Service Provider will begin flight testing of the first UberAIR urban aviation network in 2020 and will begin commercial flights in 2023, according to the firm at the annual Uber Elevate Summit in Los Angeles (United States).
Uber presents its first flying taxi
After announcing last year that Los Angeles would be one of the first cities in the United States to have UberAIR, the company has strengthened its partnerships with manufacturers and technology companies to make its’flying taxi’ service a reality.
“The annual meeting of Elevate de Uber began its flight today to show the progress that is being made in the various areas that are necessary for UberAIR to become a reality in 2023. This includes the design of multiple vehicles, new battery technology, production enhancements and an operating system that will enable safer, more accurate and environmentally friendly operation,” said Uber Product Manager Jeff Holden. As the company has stressed, Uber will not manufacture the vehicles but will work for hand in hand with industry leaders to produce the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft available to the UberAIR network.
Some of the main novelties announced by Uber on the first day of the convention are the new UberAIR reference model, which will fly at a speed of 240-320 kilometres per hour, as well as a new research agreement with the US Army to help create new, quieter and more efficient rotor systems.
For its part, the company has signed a second agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that will generate the data needed to support the creation of industry standards, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and procedures and other regulations.
“This enormous effort to’have a one-button flight’ can only be achieved through close collaboration between the public and private sectors, and this is exactly what the Uber Elevate meetings are all about,” added Holden.
Uber rejects the current helicopters to create this network because they are too energy inefficient and is leaning towards an aircraft with wings that is capable of flying using electric batteries, reaching speeds of between 241 and 321 kilometres per hour and taking off and landing in one minute. The company said it will cost between 8 and 16 million euros to build a demonstration unit and will require between 126 and 252 million euros to meet the costs of certification and the purchase of equipment for initial production.
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